Zero Network
by Weapon of Light
Summary: What happens when a Net Navi on the run finds its way into a completely random Personal Terminal? A freshman high school student must find out what it means to become a hero, the hard way!
1. ZNC1 Scene 1: Broken Chains

**Before this story starts off I would like to just say, hey, I did not copy this title from the old Zero Network that was on Fan years ago. In fact, I was the author of that story. I am here to present to everyone the new and improved Zero Network. I would also like to say that yes, the main character narrating the story was basically copied from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Anime. I wanted to try something new in this story, so I used that. So when you see bold text in the middle of the story, then you can safely assume that the main character is narrating. If you don't like it then just don't read the story... it makes it just that simple... All in all I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Zero Network**

**Chapter 1: A New Blade**

**Scene 1: Broken Chains**

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In the year 2068 the world is in the technological era. Most of the world depends on the internet and the uses of a computer. In this day and time people go about their lives without any concern about viruses or malfunctions in the devices that they use. Due to the technological advancements of the world, any time a virus appears the internet protection software instantly deletes the harmful programs. Technology has also advanced the world as well as the internet, allowing for cleaner and much safer means of transportation. Everything in the world is powered by electricity and solar powered machines. Even though the world seems to be a much safer place, net crimes continue to appear and disappear, as if they know how to create their own loop holes throughout the system. Every now and then a new organization of crime rises, then falls the week after. Unknown to the world, a new organization of crime is quickly rising to power…

In a laboratory somewhere in the outskirts of the city limits, a man walks through one of the hallways, stroking his chin while in deep thought. The man stops at a nearby window to gaze outside at the dark night sky. The moon was unusually dark for the nights time, but that did not worry the scientist. The man looks into the reflection of the window for a moment before closing his eyes. The man is completely bald with no facial hair at all to his double chin. He has sharp blue eyes, showing that this man has surely seen better days. He wears the normal white lab coat, something that is a fashion for scientists. Under the coat this man is wearing a brown suit with black dress shoes. The man continues on his walk, still stroking his chin as he seems to be in deep thought. While closing his eyes again, a man walks around the corner in the distance. His glasses shine at times as the moon shines through the windows while he walks towards the bald man. He also looks like a scientist as he wears the same white lab coat. He has short black hair with green eyes, his suit is red with black shoes.

"Professor Victor." the man in the red suit suddenly speaks as the bald man seems to jump a bit.

"Oh! You startled me Ivan… I was not expecting you until the morning came around." said Victor while extending his hand to greet the man.

"I like to make my visits a surprise… I'm here for my weekly inspection Victor." replies Ivan while shaking Victor's hand.

"I hope that my laboratory is up to your standards." Victor attempts to flatter him as he puts his hand back into his pocket.

"I hope so too Victor, I really like the work that you do here." Ivan replies as he walks ahead of Victor.

As the two of them walk through the dark hallways, Victor shows him all of the work that he and his men have been working on for that week. Ivan looks over the data cores closely while looking even closer at the programs running the cores. They walk into a lit room that is full of scientists at the moment, all hard at work on robotics. As soon as they notice Ivan and Victor walking into the room, they instantly stop what they are doing and face Ivan. The man in the red suit walks through the room as he closely looks over the legs and arms hanging from the ceiling. Some of the robots already functioning on the table across from him move around as he walks over to watch them. Ivan then turns to Victor before walking out of the room.

"I must say Victor, you and your team have made good time." he compliments as Victor almost seems upset to hear these words.

"Thank you Ivan, we work very hard here." replies Victor.

"You and your men can continue for another week. I will be back to inspect around them, good night to you sir." Ivan says his farewell while walking towards the exit of the building.

"How long must I endure his pathetic donations?" Victor mutters to himself as he turns to walk away.

As he walks along the dark hallways a beeper suddenly goes off. Victor reaches into his right pocket to get out a small device that he quickly places over his right ear. He presses a small red blinking button on the device before it extends a small rod that forms a see through screen over his right eye.

"I am reporting to tell you that we are ready to begin activation." a voice comes through the ear piece.

"That is good to hear, I will be right in." replies Victor as he takes the small device out of his ear.

He walks through many hallways before coming to a janitors closet at the end of the building. At the back of the closet he pushes down on a small bucket before rotating it clockwise. This causes a door to slide out of place, revealing a flight of stairs that lead downwards. As soon as he walks down the stairs the door slides shut behind him. The flight of stairs soon turn towards the opposite direction, still leading downwards. Very soon Victor reaches the bottom of the stairs where a heavy looking door lies in front of him. The hallway leading to the door is very narrow, but lined with small cameras along the way. He walks down the hallway before stopping at the heavy door, placing his hand on a small pad that is to the left of it.

"ID confirmed, Victor Sigma acknowledged." the female computer voice speaks as the door pops open a little.

Victor grabs the doors side and opens it enough for him to walk through. He shuts the door behind him before turning around to see a large monitor in the back of the room. Large energy generators run along the walls with computers next to them. Three on each side of the room, all complete with the most advanced security programs in the world. In the middle of the room is a large sphere that has metal all around it. This sphere is also directly hooked into the six computers in the room. On the monitor is a Net Navi, chained to a firewall in the spheres program. In front of the Net Navi is what looks like a data portal. The Net Navi is red, with a blue gem in the middle of his forehead. His helmet splits off to the sides and to the back of his helmet. This Net Navi also has very long blonde hair, almost savage looking. His red armor is cracked all the way down to his boots. His sharp green eyes are barely lit, even blinking at times. His white faceplate is broken off, revealing the raw data behind it. The shoulder pads stick out a bit to the sides with a spike extending that length.

"Begin the activation sequence." Victor tells one of the men as he nods his head.

"Yes sir." the man replies as he flips a few switches before typing a few words down on his computer. The sphere in the room begins to light up as the red Net Navi on the monitor begins to glow a bit. Raw data begins to flow out of the Navi's head as it begins to feel pain.

"Show me what the levels look like." says Victor while turning to another man on his left.

"Bringing them up now." the man replies as Victor walks over to him.

"Good. Alert me if they get out of control." Victor tells the man while returning his attention to the monitor.

The sphere begins to glow even brighter, even producing a small amount of heat. Victor walks a bit closer to the monitor as he takes notices to a red light forming over the data portal. As the Net Navi yells out in pain Victor seems to enjoy it, only waiting for the next scream. The red light forming over the data portal turns into a glowing sphere of its own, slowly taking in data from the red Net Navi. Suddenly the data flow stops, while Victor looks towards the computer with the power levels.

"It's no good sir, he's putting up a fight now." the man at the computer tells Victor.

"Who…" the Net Navi speaks as Victor turns to the monitor. "Who has done this to me…?" the Net Navi asks as Victor can only manage a smile.

"My name is Victor Sigma, I am in control of your pathetic life at the moment." says Victor as the Net Navi tilts his head a bit.

"Sigma… what do you want from me?" asks the Net Navi.

"I want your power, Zero." replies Sigma as the sphere behind him begins to blink.

"You do not realize… what you speak of is madness…" Zero argues as his data begins to leak again.

"You are on the verge of deletion, you have no right to speak anymore. Finish the project men." Victor commands his men as they all return to their work.

"Sigma… I will… give you what you ask…" Zero tells Victor as the bald man almost seems shocked.

"Your cooperation makes this process easy, thank…" "I was not finished…" Zero interrupts as Victor looks at the sphere.

"What are you doing!?" Victor shouts to Zero as the sphere begins to shake.

"I will give you what you ask for… but it will not be as you hope it to be…" Zero tells him as his body begins to glow. Suddenly a red flash blinds Victor as the monitor suddenly goes black before exploding. The sphere short circuits before steam rises from the top of the sphere.

"What just happened…? Get me the results right now!" Victor demands as one of his men stands to his feet.

"Sir! Come look at this!" one man speaks up as Victor rushes over to the man.

"What is it?" asks Victor while trying keep his temper in check.

"Look at this…" the man replies as the screen shows Zero, still chained to the firewall. There is no data leaking from him and his eyes are no longer lit.

"His body was not deleted… this must be because of the Zero Virus somehow… but where did our project go?" Victor asks himself as he looks around. All of his men are waiting for his orders at the moment.

"Sir? What now?" one of them finally speaks up as he snaps his head to the man.

"Call it quits for the night. Go upstairs to see if this caused any problems for our systems. I have to get some sleep, I have school in the morning." Victor tells his men as most of them acknowledge his command.

_**Hi there, my name is Blake Maverick. **_

A boy with short brown hair that barely reaches his ears walks through the school hallways, filled with new and old students. Blake wears a short sleeve shirt with a white strip going sideways on his chest and all the way around his back. He wears the typical blue jean pants with black shoes. He looks around the school with his emerald green eyes. He takes a firmer grip to his backpack, hoping to avoid the bullies in the area.

_**I am a freshman student at the Hikari High School. To start things off, I'm not your elite net battler. I basically lose every battle that I fight in. The town I live in is called ACDC, almost sounding like one of those rock bands you see on the news or music channels. I am starting my first day at High School today, but I'm not really looking forward to it.**_

"Hi Blake!" a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes runs past the boy as he stops for a moment. She is wearing a blue shirt with black jean pants. She runs through a crowd as Blake barely has enough time to see that she is wearing white shoes with flowers on them.

_**That was Emily Heeler, a friend of mine from Junior High. We graduated together at the same time of meeting each other. She's friendly but you shouldn't screw with her, she'll knock your teeth in. My life was somewhat perfect before I started this day, completely oblivious to everything around me, not caring about virus attacks. Everything was just fine until I met my science teacher…**_

"Attention students, I am your science teacher Victor Sigma. From this moment on I will be teaching you the thrills that is science. You are either in here because you figured it was an easy class, or you actually want to learn." Victor says in a loud voice as he looks around his new room full of fresh meat. He spots one boy sleeping on his desk next to Blake, who at the moment is at the point of breaking out in sweat. Victor walks over to the boy before looking at Blake.

_**Is this guy serious? Doesn't he know that suddenly waking someone up while in deep sleep can potentially harm them or worse?**_

"WAKE UP!" Victor's voice thunders through the classroom, even causing the boy to fall out of his seat.

_**I guess not… is this guy suppose to be in science or in allegiance with the grim reaper?**_

"Huh…? Where am I?" asks the boy as Victor bends down and gets in his face.

"You're in school… and I am your worst nightmare…" Victor tells the boy as he begins to tremble in fear.

_**I guess this guy really is serious…**_

"Now if nap time is over, I'd like to start our first class together by going over names. I expect you to speak up if I call your name." Victor tells them as the students all share a laugh at the sleeping boy.

_**To be perfectly honest, what kid actually enjoys going to school? I mean, it's not like we're going to die if we miss school, or the world will fall into chaos because the world is full of idiots! Well… maybe that last one would happen, but I can dream.**_

"Blake Maverick!" Victor shouts as he slams down his hands on Blake's desk.

"Y-Yes sir!" stutters Blake as he looks into Victor's eyes.

"Blake Maverick? Are you trying to be funny? Is that really your name?" asks Victor while a few kids begin to chuckle amongst themselves.

"Well, seeing as how my name is on your fancy paper of names, yeah. My last name is Maverick." Blake somewhat smarts off as Victor becomes irritated.

"So you think you're a funny guy?" asks Victors.

_**Crap.**_

"Not really… it would be kind of hard for me to fake my last name on an official school paper like that. That is all I am saying…" Blake replies in the most possible pleasant way.

"You're right." says Victor while turning around.

_**I can't believe I just got away with smarting off to the teacher! Maybe High School won't be as bad as I thought it would be!**_

"By the way, just for smarting off to me you get the first detention notice of the year." Victor tells Blake while looking back at him.

_**I hate my life.**_

"Now let's begin our class shall we?" Victor asks everyone as he returns to the front of the classroom.

_**The rest of the day was just as boring and interesting as it could be. From science I went on to history, where my teacher seemed to be a bit frantic about teaching so many kids. Her name is Julia West. Now when you think of the name Julia you somewhat get the idea that she is a strong and stern lady. I was keeping that thought until she screamed at the sight of me walking into the classroom and ran out while crying. When I asked the other students what the heck just happened, they informed me that she was a nervous breakdown waiting to happen. From history I went on to lunch, where I ate by myself until Emily came along to sit next to me. At this point you're probably thinking that this girl must be the love interest of the story? You couldn't be more wrong…**_

"Blake, give me your tray!" Emily says before ripping his tray out from under his face.

"H-Hey!" Blake shouts to her as she suddenly slings it across the room.

"FOOD FIGHT!" screams Emily as Blake starts to panic.

"Yeah!!" a boy shouts from across the room.

"You fool! You're walking right into her trap!" Blake shouts at the boy as the food begins to rain down from the air.

_**The food fight went on for about five minutes before the Principle walks through the doors. The Principle just so happened to be another woman, but unlike my history teacher, this woman looked like she was about to shoot all of us in the head, one by one. It just so happened that she looked down to see a paper bag that had my name written on it. My mother made me that lunch and put my name on it just in case. It turned out to be the reason I was given extra detention. Emily is a cruel and sadistic girl…**_

"Is this how you want to start your first day of school!?" the Principle basically screams at Blake. She is wearing the typical small bottle shaped glasses with black hair that is put up in a bun at the moment. She is wearing a fancy looking red suit with a blue dress shirt under it. Blake looks at her name which is on the small little board on her desk. Lyra Helpers.

_**Helpers? And Mr. Sigma thought my name was fake?**_

"No ma'am…" Blake replies as he looks around the room, which is full of trophies and ribbons.

"Since this is your first day here at Hikari High, I will not call your mother, but you will get extra detention for this. Do not let this happen again! Do I make myself clear!?" she shouts at him as Blake nods his head.

"It will not happen again Ms. Helpers!" Blake replies.

"Actually it is Mrs. Helpers." she comments while turning her large red seat around.

_**Mrs.? You mean to tell me that someone actually married you!? I guess there is love in even the cruelest of people…**_

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Helpers." Blake corrects himself as he walks out of the room.

_**Now I know what you are thinking, I could have easily pointed out that Emily started the food fight and been home free. Even though she did throw the first bit of food, and even though I am not interested in her, I can't refuse a cute face like that. I figured she would just owe me one sooner or later… I hope. Detention was not as bad as I thought it would be. I was in a small room with a big snoring guy and another guy who looked like he was just itching to attack something. The big guy was wearing the typical bully outfit, even complete with his own bulldog collar around his neck. He stunk of animals at the same time, as I noticed hair all over his black clothes. Even his bald head had some hair on it because of it being animal hair. The other guy had long brown hair that reached his shoulders. He wears thick glasses and his face does not look so well trimmed. His clothes looked dirty so I assumed that he attacked his own bathtub in a heroic attempt to get to school. While the company was as if I was staying at Four Seasons Hotel, I cannot believe they made my history teacher the detention teacher. What in the world possessed them to appoint her the teacher of detention? I suppose she can get some quiet time while in this room, so she might have begged them to put here in this room. There is only one window and the rest of the room is basically clean. Yeah, she must have begged them.**_

"Hey bud, what are you in for?" asks the guy who was snoring a moment ago.

_**Yeah, this guy has a bright future.**_

"My friend started a food fight and I was blamed for it." Blake replies while trying to keep his voice down.

"So why didn't you bust'em?" asks the guy as he scratches his armpit.

"Well I didn't want to get her in trouble…" Blake replies as he tries to hold back his vomit.

"A girl? Why didn't you just say that!? You're always suppose to let the pretty girl get away with the deed!" the guy laughs as he hits Blake in the back.

_**That really didn't help me feel any better about the situation. It only made me think that I was starting to think like a thug.**_

"All right students, detention is over and you may use your Personal Terminal's now. Please have a safe trip home." Mrs. Helpers voice comes through the speakers at the back corner of the room.

_**Now before you ask, a Personal Terminal is a device that contains something called a Net Navi. This is a life like program that interacts with its Net Operator, or the one using the Terminal. The short term for Personal Terminal is PET.**_

"You want to net battle?" asks the guy with the animal hair falling from his shirt. He takes out a dark brown PET from his backpack that seemed to be hidden under his desk. He places the PET on his wrist before strapping the velcro around it.

_**The PET is round near the hand area, but looks like a small box above the wrist. In the middle of the PET is a green screen that is kind of like a window to look at your Net Navi whenever you want. The two buttons on the right side of the PET help when people call or text you. All in all a PET really looks like a larger version of a cell phone, but strapped to the wrist with a powerful program installed.**_

"Not really… I'm not into the whole net battle thing. I kind of suck at it…" Blake admits to him while strapping on his own PET.

"That PET is just the standard grey color! You mean to tell me that you haven't even made your own personal Net Navi!?" asks the thug with shock.

"I really don't have a need for a super Net Navi if I never use it to battle. All I need it for is an alarm clock and a map at times." replies Blake as the guy shrugs his shoulders.

"Whatever man, I'll see you around." he tells him while saluting him. The guy with the long hair just walks out of the room without even glancing at Blake.

_**It was true, I did not like Net Navi's. After school I walked all the way home since the bus driver did not feel like waiting for me. Honestly, the worst day of school I have ever had. On the way home I noticed a few power breakers that apparently blew a fuse. I've never seen so many men attempting to fix a single breaker box at the same time. I was about to break out the bad jokes when I realized they could easily kick my butt. On top of that my mom screamed at me for an hour straight because she somehow found out that I was in detention. I later find out that Emily was the one that let the cat out of the bag. The sadistic girl that she is… After relaxing in front of the television for a few hours I headed up to my room to get some sleep. Unknown to me my computer was on the entire day, which kind of ticked me off. I have a younger brother and an older sister, one of them would pay. For now, I just wanted to get some sleep. I took off my PET before placing it on the charger for the night. As soon as I put it in the charger I receive the shock of my life. As I fly back and hit my bed, hard, I notice a red light glowing from my PET.**_

"What's going on here?" asks Blake while watching so many programs go by the screen at the same time.

_**Little did I know, that this day would be the last normal day of my life.**_

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**Chapter 1**

**End of Scene 1**


	2. ZNC1 Scene 2: The Mysterious Red Navi

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 1: A New Blade**

**Scene 2: The Mysterious Red Navi**

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_**For the most part, I was shocked at the fact that I was shocked. I stood to my feet and gazed into the PET, only to see a light red Net Navi looking back at me. My first thought was that some dirty software somehow downloaded into my PET and I was looking at some whore program. At least that was my first thought, mainly because of the long blonde hair the Navi had in a ponytail. The blonde hair at least reached to its thighs. At a second glance this Navi looked like more of a fighter than a lover. Its red helmet with a blue gem in the forehead position. The middle of the helmet is black and so are the sides. On the jawbone area is a white jaw guard on both sides that reach to the back of its head, but cut off there. It did not have any shoulder pads, only black leather that fit into the red arm gauntlets, which had gold trimming around the wrists. This Navi was wearing what looked like a armored vest. Except for the long red boots the Navi was wearing, it looked kind of weak.**_

"Who are you?" questions Blake as he sits down on his bed, taking instant notice that his PET was slowly turning light red.

"I'm… not sure." the Navi replies in a somewhat deep voice.

_**So this is a male Navi.**_

"How do you not know who you are?" Blake asks as the Navi turns his head to the left side.

"I don't know…" he answers while closing his eyes.

"Installation of custom Net Navi Zero complete." the PET suddenly speaks as the two of them somewhat jump.

"Zero…? Is that who I am…?" asks the Navi while looking around his new home. The inside of the PET looks like one of those rooms that you put a crazy person inside of.

"I guess so, your own emblem has appeared and everything." Blake comments as a bold Z appears on the PET's screen. The emblem also appears just below the screen of the PET, in a small circle.

"Where did I come from?" asks Zero as he continues to look around.

_**Oh come on… do you mean to tell me that this Net Navi, Zero, does not even know where he came from?**_

"I'm not sure… I put my PET in the charger, then the next thing I knew I was shocked and flew back." replies Blake while looking towards his computer, which was smoking at the moment. "My computer!" Blake adds in a panic as he turns the lights on in his room.

"A virus attack?" asks Zero as he holds his head.

"How!? I'm suppose to have the most updated software!" Blake shouts as he looks at his PET.

"I think… I can help. Send me in." Zero tells him as Blake straps his PET back on.

"For the sake of my computer, I agree!" Blake says as he aims the PET at his computer. Instantly Zero is transported to the inside of Blake's computer. As his form materializes inside of the computer, the viruses attacking the computer take instant notice before surrounding the Navi. The viruses are the same size as Zero, all of them sporting their own swords. They are a see through blue color with no physical form of their own. As Zero fully materializes the viruses shape shift to look like him.

_**Now I am no virus expert, but I don't think that any old virus can do that. Whatever these things are, there was five of them and my smoking computer… I wanted them dead.**_

"I don't have any battle chips… so what do you have?" asks Blake while Zero looks back at him.

"What are battle chips?" he asks as one of the fake Zero's tackle him from the side. As they slide along the cyber ground the fake Zero begins to punch at the real Zero in the face.

"Zero!" shouts Blake as he shakes his PET.

"Get off of me!" shouts Zero as he kicks the fake image off. Zero then staggers to his feet as the other four fakes surround him. Zero looks around to see that they all have their own sword.

"If you're just like any other normal Navi, you should have a weapon selection built in you right?" asks Blake while pressing down on his PET's screen.

It brings up a small see through window in front of him that displays two weapon icons. One looks like a pistol with a wrist grip at the back of the gun. The other is a green energy saber that looks like a triangle with the top stretched out about two feet. As one of the fake Zero's charge right at the real Zero, Blake touches the energy saber. Blake watches as the fake image leaps into the air the saber materializes in Zero's right hand. The two fall to the ground as the real Zero stands up with a somewhat cocky look to his face suddenly. He looks down to the fake image to see that the saber had been jabbed right through it. Zero slashes his saber to the side as the fake image is deleted.

_**Yeah, that was pretty cool I'll give him that.**_

"Are you damaged?" asks Blake as Zero seems to ignore him. "Zero?" he asks again as Zero looks back to him.

"I will finish them off now." he replies with a calm voice, completely different than before.

"What?" asks Blake in a shocked tone.

In a sudden burst of speed Zero dashes forward towards one of the fake images before swinging his saber to the right while passing by it. The fake image is cleanly cut in two before it is deleted. Zero turns to look at the other three fakers to see that they are preparing to attack. The red Navi runs towards the fakes before leaping into the air, suddenly beginning to spin rapidly. As he lands between the three fake images his spinning attack cuts through one of the fake Zero's left arm. Instantly the real Zero turns to the wounded fake to cut it in half by rising upwards. The two remaining fake images tackle Zero from behind which forces Zero to lose his grip on the saber. At that moment Blake takes notice and touches the pistol on the screen in front of him. The pistol materializes in his left hand before he fires at the fake image on the left. It flies back as Zero kicks the other fake image off of him. Zero stands to his feet before firing a few more shots at the fake image attempting to stand up. As it is deleted the remaining fake Zero steps through the internet portal. Zero's pistol vanishes as he looks towards Blake who has a shocked look.

_**Wow… I mean… just wow.**_

"Are you damaged at all?" asks Blake as Zero squints his eyes.

"No… did I win?" he asks as Blake raises his left eyebrow.

"You just defeated them all without a problem. Well… one got away…" Blake replies as Zero looks at his hands.

"Your computer is virus free now." says Zero before he returns to Blake's PET.

"Thanks Zero, I'm glad my computer did not catch on fire." Blake tries to joke as Zero gives him a blank stare.

_**Great… this guy will probably never break a smile.**_

"It is my job, I am your Navi after all." replies Zero.

_**Whoa now, I never said he was my Net Navi. I certainly never said he could stay with me either. But then again… he seems to be incredibly strong for such a small Navi. Maybe I will keep him around, at least nobody will try to screw with me in a net battle anymore.**_

"I'm going to get some sleep now. I have school in the morning and I don't want to be late." Blake tells him as he takes off the PET.

"What is school?" asks Zero.

"You're kidding me…?" asks Blake before looking at Zero's dead serious look. "School is where kids like me go to learn important things. Like history of the world, or that math crap." Blake explains as Zero crosses his arms.

"Kind of like… training?" the Navi asks.

"I guess you can put it that way, but I need to get to sleep. Goodnight Zero." Blake says before placing the PET on the charger.

He then goes over to his bed before taking his shoes off and tossing them to the other side of the room. He plops down on his bed before crawling under the covers. Zero image suddenly appears on top of the PET as a small hologram. He looks around the room a bit before jumping down from the PET. He looks over the computer before looking at the mouse. The red Navi finds a notebook lying on the desk with a pen next to it. Zero finally has had enough before he walks back over to the PET and jumps back on top of it. His image fades away before appearing back inside of the PET. The screen shuts off soon after as the room was dark now. The next morning the PET's alarm goes off as Blake raises his head a bit, realizing that his alarm is going off. He staggers over to his desk before pressing a small green button on the side of the PET.

"Good morning Zero…" Blake greets while yawning.

"What was that incredibly loud noise?" asks Zero while looking around the PET.

"That would be my alarm clock, it makes sure that I wake up on time. Have you ever heard of one?" asks Blake.

"No." replies Zero as he seems to calm down.

"Let me take you off of the charger, I don't want to over charge you." says Blake as he picks up the PET.

"What will happen then?" asks Zero.

_**I don't ever want to experience that again… the last time I over charged my PET, the default Navi inside was hyper the entire day. It even challenged people to net battles without my permission! It threw around insults to a lot of the bullies too, which landed me a beat down each time. At the end of the day the default Navi deleted itself, along with my homework for the next day. It's a bad thing to over charge PET's to say the least…**_

"Don't worry about it…" says Blake with a stressed face.

"Are you late for school?" asks Zero while the internal clock on the PET shows 8:00.

"Yes! How did the alarm clock get set back!?" shouts Blake while rushing to strap on his PET. He rushes over to the other side of his room to grab his backpack before rushing out of the room. Down the stairs his mother is waiting for him, tapping her left foot rapidly on the floor. Her brown hair is in a ponytail, which reaches the middle of her back. She is wearing a dark blue long sleeve shirt with blue jean pants on. At the moment she is wearing sandals with white socks on. She begins to glare at him with her emerald green eyes.

"How did you manage to wake up late this time?" his mother growls at him before handing him his bag of lunch, with his name still on the bag.

"Sorry mom, got to go to school!" Blake attempts to ignore his mother while walking past her.

"Not so fast Blake!" his mother shouts before grabbing his shirt.

_**I was so close to getting outside…**_

"You're father is coming home to visit for the week, so I expect you home on time without detention!" she basically screams at him as Blake wipes the spit off of his face.

"I told you, that was not my fault yesterday!" Blake argues before realizing that he is wasting time.

"Go to school already!" she snaps at him as he runs out the door.

_**Honestly, sometimes I think mothers are trying to make you late wherever you go. If you are late for school, they always have things to talk to you about before you leave. That means they always expect at least five minutes from you, which can make a world of a difference.**_

"Is your mother mad at you?" asks Zero as Blake runs down the street.

"She's normally like that when my dad comes home for a week. He's a scientist at some laboratory in the outskirts of the city. He comes home for a week at a time before going back to work for two weeks straight. His employers demand a lot of him within those two weeks, so that is why he stays close to them." explains Blake as he runs into someone's back. He rubs his face as a hand is extended to him.

"Sorry about that, are you alright?" asks a voice.

"I'm fine, thanks." replies Blake as he looks up to see the face of the one who is talking.

The young man does not look that much older than Blake himself. His brown hair is a bit longer than Blake's hair and a bit more shaggy looking. He is wearing blue baggy pants with black boots. At a second glance his black shoes have a gold trim that go up on the right side of his right shoe, and go up on the left side of the left shoe. The boy is wearing a normal brown leather jacket with a black shirt underneath it. The collar of the leather jacket is not folded. He has a raised eye brow at the moment as Blake notices his dark blue eyes. Blake then takes his hand before standing up.

"Sorry again, but I need to rush off now." the boy tells him before walking away.

"School?" asks Zero as Blake seems to panic.

He runs across the street before taking a short cut down a back alley. At the laboratory in the outskirts of the city a man is walking through the busy hallways. This man has the same hair style of Blake and the same color eyes. He walks into an office with a bald man sitting in a chair with the chair turned at the moment.

"Victor!" the man coming in the room shouts as the chair turns around.

"Jason Maverick! What can I do for you today?" asks Victor as he can see that Jason is clearly not in a friendly mood.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Jason snaps at him while reaching into his lab coat and pulling out a folder. He slams it down on the desk before Victor glances at Jason. He grabs the folder and opens it to see that it contains evidence that he and many others working there are involved in many crimes throughout the states.

"How did you come across this?" asks Victor while looking at Jason.

"I have my ways Sigma, but you're through working here. Once Ivan finds out about this you and your partners are finished! I can't believe that the owner of Chase is involved with you! You're done, finished Sigma!" Jason shouts at him as Victor stands to his feet and walks over to Jason.

"Now Jason, I'm sure we can work something out." Sigma says to him while closing the door behind them.

"I'm not going to accept anything you offer me." Jason tells him as Victor sits back down in his seat.

"I'm sure there is something we can arrange. Did you know that I have a Blake Maverick in my science class?" asks Victor as Jason's face turns to shock.

"Leave him out of this Sigma!" Jason shouts at him.

"I see I hit a nerve. Actually your son is rather bright for his age, following in his fathers footsteps I see. How do you think it would affect his future if I was to take his father away from him? Why that would destroy him of course! It would throw him down a path that you or his mother would never want!" Victor tells Jason.

"Leave him and my wife out of this Sigma… they haven't done anything to you." Jason says as he sits down in a large chair in front of the desk. Victor smiles as he presses a button under his desk. Suddenly clamps pin down Jason's arms and legs before a piece of metal covers his mouth. He attempts to struggle and break free, but nothing is working. Victor slides open his top desk drawer before pulling out a needle.

"You could have avoided this Jason. I'm sure you have gone through the papers and photo's on the desk, you should know that I am not someone that should be played around with. Take the virus inside of this needle, it is a very serious virus indeed. You cannot catch this virus by contact, it has to get inside of your body in order to kill. Now that I think about it… the worst pain I can give you, is in fact your son suffering without his father. Now… I'd like to hear what you have to say about this." Victor tells him before putting the needle in Jason's left arm. Jason looks at him with a calm look before his eyes go black, his body begins to twitch back and forth before suddenly stopping. Victor walks back to his chair before sitting down in his seat again. He places the needle back in the desk drawer before pushing down on the secretary button.

"Yes sir?" a woman's voice comes through.

"Bring me my special janitor." Victor tells her.

"Right away sir." she replies as Victor turns his seat towards the files on his desk.

"I will not have anyone getting in my way. We will create a new order in the world… for that, we will become Enigma." Victor mutters to himself.

At the school Blake is just sitting down in his first class before the Principle walks through the door. She looks at Blake before walking over to his teacher. They talk for a few moments as Blake starts to wonder if he is in trouble or something.

"Blake… could you go with the Principle? She has something that she wants to tell you…" the teacher tells Blake as she looks away from him. Now everyone in the class is wondering what is going on. The Principle seemed to be sad as she walked him to her office. Blake sits down in the seat in front of her desk before she sits down in front of him, trying to hide the sad expression to her face.

"Am I… in trouble?" asks Blake while raising his right eye brow.

"No Blake… I just received a call… I'm so sorry Blake, but your father died about an hour ago… he" "What!?" interrupts Blake as he stands to his feet.

"There was an accident in his lab. He was working on some sort of virus before it suddenly burst onto his skin… he died within minutes… I'm so very sorry…" Mrs. Helpers says before lowering her head.

"No… mom!" Blake shouts before running out of the office. Mrs. Helpers just sits there as a single tear falls down her left cheek.

"The poor kid… I hope he is strong enough to handle his burden as well as his mothers." Mrs. Helpers thinks to herself while wiping the tear away.

Blake runs out of the school faster than he ever has. He leaps off of the stairs as some of the bus drivers take notice of him. He uses all of his strength to make himself run faster. He can see the police cars driving away from his street. He rushes into the street to cross without realizing the cars driving towards him. They honk at him as he jumps out of the way, nearly missing one of them. He bursts into the house as he makes his way into the living room where he knew his mother would be. He spots her on up against the couch on the floor, with her thighs up against her face and her arms hanging over her knees.

"Mom…?" asks Blake as his mother finally takes notice to him being there.

"Blake…" she starts before Blake runs over to her and sits down next to her with tears coming out of his eyes.

"I know… I know…" he tells her before she starts to cry.

"They said that he was guilty of creating a virus! They said he was going to attack innocent people with that virus! They told me that they had proof of him being the leader of a net crime organization!" his mother tells him as Blake holds her in his arms.

"They said… all of that? Dad would never do any of that!" Blake says as his mother shakes her head.

"I know… they're coming tomorrow to investigate the house, to see if we were involved in the net crimes… please… I don't have any energy left… please take care of the house…" his mother tells him before standing to her feet. She walks up the stairs, before too long Blake can hear her door slam shut. Blake stands to his feet before punching the wall with his right hand. As he takes his hand out of the wall his fist is bloody.

"Blake… are you alright?" asks Zero as Blake begins to tremble and shake.

"I don't know who did this to my father… but I will make them pay! I will make them pay for what they did to this family! My father would never commit a crime of any sort! Whoever set him up is the real crime leader! I'll hunt him down and reveal to the world who he or she is! Will you help me Zero?" asks Blake as he looks at his PET.

"I am your Net Navi… I will go where you lead me to." replies Zero.

"Thank you Zero… I will make sure that my fathers name is cleared." Blake says while clenching his fists.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Scene 2 End**


	3. ZNC1 Scene 3: Rise Of Enigma

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 1: A New Blade**

**Scene 3: Rise Of Enigma**

**

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**

Blake wakes up the very next morning to his mother crying, every second of it is tearing him apart. He finds himself crying before too long, the thought of going through his life without his father was ripping him apart. He rolls over on his stomach before trying to go back to sleep with all of his thoughts focused on his dad. Zero watches from the PET, wondering to himself what this emotion is. He watches as Blake turns over many times before finally sitting up in his bed.

"Why… why did this happen? He never did anything to anyone… he was always so kind and helpful. All of that… and they label him so quickly as the leader of a organization. Why did it have to be him…?" Blake mutters to himself as the PET's screen turns off suddenly.

"I am just a program… a Net Navi. Why do I feel so much pain for him?" Zero asks himself while looking at his hands.

A few hours later Blake finally gets out of bed, looking at the time he realizes that he is going to be late for school. He shakes his head before picking up his PET and walking out of his room. He can still hear his mother in her room as he passes by to walk downstairs. He stops to see that his brother and sister have left for school already. Blake slowly walks down, knowing that his father should be there at the base of the stairs at this very moment to greet him for the day. He walks into the kitchen and makes the choice to prepare breakfast for his mother. He scrambles the eggs and places the bacon in separate pans before adding sausage to the pan with the bacon. A few minutes pass before his mother walks down the stairs with her nose in the air. Her hair is in a mess while her eyes look extremely tired.

"Blake…? You don't have to do that…" she tells him.

"I wanted to make you some breakfast." replies Blake as he turns to her, seeing that she is basically lifeless. "Besides you need to eat something." he adds as he brings her plate.

"He should be here right now." his mother suddenly says as Blake stops everything.

"Mom… don't do this to yourself." Blake says to her while putting her plate down. He adds a glass of milk to the table for her as well.

"It's the truth… he should be here right now, eating breakfast with us…" she continues while looking at her food.

"I know…" says Blake while thinking of nothing better to say.

Blake eats his own food and drinks his own glass of milk as he watches his mom play around with her food. He catches her looking at his fathers seat half of the time, while the other half she is looking at him with such a depressed face. The silence is broken by a few bangs on their front door.

"I'll get it mom." says Blake as he walks to the front door. He opens it to see three men standing there in suits.

_**I could have sworn that I was looking at one of those bad television programs that involved three men who went around solving cases and somehow always ended up with victory.**_

"Hello son, shouldn't you be at school?" asks the man in the front who is wearing the typical grey detective suit. He looks like an aged person, with more bald space than comb over hair. He has uneasy green eyes.

_**Son? I hate it when people older than me try to relate themselves to me.**_

"I'm not going to school today." replies Blake as another man walks closer.

"We're here to investigate the house in suspicion that you or your family are linked to any net crimes." a man with red flat top hair, green eyes and a blue suit says before Blake seems to get upset.

"We suggest that you or your mother stay out of your rooms until we are finished." the last man says while stepping forward. This one is wearing a brown suit with short black hair and a pair of sunglasses on. He is also chewing on something at the moment.

"But this is our house, not yours. We will go to our rooms if we feel like it." replies Blake as the nearly bald man pushes him out of the way.

"You will do as you are told, boy." the one with the red hair tells him as he and the other man walk by.

_**These guys are real jerks. They have no respect for the fact that my father died yesterday! I was not about to just sit by and watch them treat this family like garbage!**_

"Blake, who are these men?" asks his mother while walking out of the kitchen.

"You mean they didn't even tell you? These guys are here to investigate the house, but they're real jerks at the same time." he tells his mother as he walks into the kitchen. He instantly takes notice to the one with sunglasses on eating his mothers food.

"Hey! That is my mothers!" Blake shouts at him before taking the plate away from him.

"That is pretty tasty, give it back kid." the guy says while standing to his feet.

"I will not! You guys are a pathetic excuse for investigators!" Blake shouts as the other two turn around to him. The man with the sunglasses slaps Blake as he falls down to the floor. The plate full of food crashes in front of him as the man laughs.

"You made a mess… you should have that cleaned up right away." the man continues.

_**That's it.**_

Blake stands to his feet before punching the man right in the face. His sunglasses break off and even cut the man around his teal colored eyes. The other two walk towards Blake as the man with the black hair grabs Blake by his arm. Suddenly Blake flings him over his shoulder and slams him to the ground. The nearly bald man rushes up to him before Blake spin kicks the man's face. He flies over against the kitchen sink before the red head charges for him too. Blake raises his right foot above his head before slamming down on the head of the man charging him. He hit's the floor hard before the man with the black hair picks Blake up from behind and holds his arms in place. Suddenly the man gets a tap on his shoulder before turning around to receive another punch to the face. Blake is released as he turns around to see Victor shaking his fist, still wearing his lab coat.

"What is going on here!?" shouts Victor in a thundering voice.

"Mr. Sigma? These guys are the investigators that are suppose to search the house, but so far they have been extremely rude to us." Blake explains as Victor looks at them.

"You three should be ashamed of yourselves!" he shouts at them.

"And who are you suppose to be!?" the nearly bald man asks while holding his jaw.

"My name is Victor Sigma, I am this boys high school science teacher and a friend of this boys father and mother!" Victor replies as he looks towards Blake's mother. "I'm s very sorry about your husband Lisa…" Victor tells her before walking over to hug her.

"Thank you…" she replies as Victor releases her to go hug Blake.

"I'm sorry Blake, I wish there was something I could have done." Victor tells Blake.

"Thanks…" Blake replies.

_**It's strange… I knew that Victor meant what he said… but why couldn't I feel any comfort coming from him? I felt cold…**_

"You three will leave this house right away! I will have a long conversation with your superiors later!" Victor tells the three men as they leave their pride behind and walk out of the kitchen. They gently shut the front door as Victor smirks at Blake.

"Looks like you taught them a lesson all on your own." Victor chuckles as Blake smiles.

_**A black belt.**_

"Why are you here?" asks Lisa as Victor turns to her.

"The Principle asked me to come over to inform Blake that he did not have to worry about coming to school. His brother and sister are already in class." Victor replies as Blake starts to pick up the wasted food and pieces of glass from the plate. Victor takes notice to Blake's PET, the Z as the emblem catches his attention more than anything. He can see a small red Navi staring back at him with a blank stare.

"This Navi… looks familiar. Where have I seen this Navi before?" Victor thinks to himself as he helps Blake pick up the pieces of the plate.

An hour goes by as the three of them clean up the kitchen after the small fight. Many times Victor glances over at Blake's PET, every time Zero is watching him. After a while the three of them sit down on the couch in the living room. Blake turns on the television as Victor sits down next to him and his mother. It is silent for a few moments before the screen suddenly becomes blurry. Suddenly an image of a man wearing a black cloak and a hood appears on the screen. His face is hidden in the hood and the background is nearly as black as his cloak.

"Greetings to everyone in the world." this person starts off in a warped voice.

"What program are you watching? This guy is good at acting!" Victor says as Blake changes the channel, realizing that this person is on every channel.

"He's on every channel!" Blake says as he tries to turn off the television.

"It won't turn off?" asks his mother as Blake shakes his head.

"I am here to announce the beginning of the change of the world. For far too long the world has been plagued by the wicked and those who claim to be stronger than others… I am no different than those men! Some of you may have already heard, but a man named Jason Maverick created a virus for me… he died while testing the virus, but his legacy will live on through me." the man in the cloak speaks as Blake begins to shake again.

"How dare he…! How dare he spit out lies about my father!" Blake begins to shout as Victor watches his emotions. Lisa watches in horror as the man in the cloak stands to his feet and shows a man with long blonde hair tied to a large chair behind him. His mouth is covered by tape at the moment. This man also looks very dirty, his face is covered in dirt.

"This man is going to become very famous. I found him on the streets, a simple homeless person at that… he is going to be the very first victim of the Maverick Virus!" the man in the cloak says before an arm stretches out of the chairs top with a needle attached to the end. It sticks the needle in the mans neck before the blonde man begins to shake back and forth. The cloaked person stands in front of the camera for a few moments before stepping out of the way, showing the man in the chair to be lifeless.

"What kind of man is this? To take a life and treat it like a personal toy?" Victor asks as he manages a small smirk.

"I will bring in a new order for the world… for that there must be chaos before it! That is why I have created a new organization! Enigma!" the man in the cloak says before the screen turns off.

"My God…" Lisa mutters.

"I have to get going. I have a class to teach in less than thirty minutes." Victor tells them suddenly as he looks at his watch.

"Thank you for stopping by Victor… please take care." Lisa tells him while standing to her feet.

"You are the one that should take care. You and Blake that is…" Victor replies as he stands and hugs her.

"I think I am going to go to my room now. Thanks for everything Mr. Sigma." Blake tells him as he runs up the stairs.

"The boy is strong, he will be just fine. You have to be just as strong Lisa." Victor tells her before walking out of the house.

"I know… I know Victor…" she mutters to herself before sitting down on the couch again.

_**This day was starting off really bad. It was not even noon, we had three jerks burst into the house, my science teacher came to visit, and a madman basically declared war on the world. At least I knew one thing… I have at least a small lead on who set my father up. The leader of Enigma… I'm sure it is him. How dare this person name that virus after my father! This is bigger than I first thought… I may need help if I am going to put a stop to Enigma. I have no idea on where to start…**_

* * *

**End of Chapter 1**


	4. ZNC2 Scene 1: The White Knight

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 2: Baby Steps**

**Scene 1: The White Knight**

**

* * *

**The very next day Blake wakes up really early. He can hear his brother and sister still getting ready for school. He walks out of his room as he takes notice to his sister standing in the bathroom brushing her teeth. She has long blonde hair in a ponytail with crystal blue eyes. She is wearing a short red skirt with a red top. Blake waves to her as she waves back and spits out the toothpaste in her mouth. Downstairs Blake's brother is watching television before going to school. He has very short brown hair with green eyes. He is wearing a football jersey with the number 01 on it. His blue jean pants are baggy and worn out at the same time. Blake walks into the kitchen before the bright light blinds him for a moment. He opens the refrigerator door to take out the bottle of milk inside.

"How are you holding up?" a voice comes from behind as Blake turns to see his brother standing there.

"How do you think?" Blake counters as grabs a small glass.

"It's going to be a rough day at school for you… everyone was giving us crap yesterday because of that stupid transmission of the man in the cloak." his brother tells him.

"Ryan, they can give me all the crap that they want to give. I know the truth, and that is all that matters to me." Blake replies while pouring his milk.

"I thought so too…" Ryan continues as their sister walks into the kitchen.

"I was kicked off of the cheerleader squad because of it." she tells them while sitting down at the table. "I wish dad was here to help us through this…" she adds as she buries her face in her hands.

"I know Cady…" Ryan comforts her while sitting down next to her.

"All of this because of the leader of Enigma…" speaks Blake as he sits down as well.

"I've got to get to school. I'm still a part of the newspaper, maybe they haven't kicked me out yet." Cady says while getting up.

"Yeah, see you at school Blake." Ryan tells him as he walks out of the kitchen. Cady follows soon after before Blake walks back upstairs to get ready for school.

"Blake." Zero speaks from the PET.

"What?" asks Blake while sitting down at his desk.

"Do you trust that Victor guy?" Zero asks him as he crosses his arms.

"My father trusted him and my mother trusts him." Blake replies while giving Zero a strange look.

"I asked if you trust him." states Zero as Blake sighs to himself.

"I guess I trust him… I just met him a few days ago. My mom and dad never told me about him before." says Blake as he stands to his feet to stretch.

"Several times during his visit I caught him looking at your PET." Zero tells him.

"From what I heard on my first day of school, Mr. Sigma does not like Net Navi's, he hates them." speaks Blake as he takes his shirt off and reaches for another one in his closet.

"Still… I don't trust Sigma." Zero continues before Blake lets out another sigh.

"Fine, I'll keep my eyes open for him. In the meantime, I really need to get to school." Blake says as he takes the PET and straps it on his arm.

_**As soon as I stepped on the school bus everyone became quiet. Nobody said a word during the entire drive to school. Nobody said anything at all even at the front of the school. All they could do was stare at me, and whisper towards each other. When I finally got to my locker I found something unpleasant. Someone, or some group wrote Enigma Follower on my locker door. I just ignored it as I opened it to get my books and latest homework. After I closed the locker door four jocks walk up to me and surround me. Like I'm stupid… I know they just want to annoy me for a bit. I'm not going to stoop to their level and argue or fight with them.**_

"Hey Maverick, heard your dad died as he created a virus. How does that go in your family? To know that you're the son of a killer?" the jock asks as Blake drops his books and homework.

_**I changed my mind.**_

Blake punches the first jock in the face before spinning around to punch one of the two behind him. At that moment another jock grabs him from behind before they begin to punch him in the stomach and face. The crowd of kids flock around them while cheering on for the jocks. Blake kicks off of two of them before flipping over the one holding him. He kicks the feet out from under the jock before leaping towards the three in front of him. Blake kicks one in the face as the other two punch Blake in the stomach. He falls to his knees before standing up again. In the distance of the hallway Victor is standing there with his arms crossed, next to him is another man wearing a lab coat. This man has no hair just like Victor.

"Shouldn't you stop that fight?" asks the man as Victor turns to him.

"Kids will be kids. Besides, I'm having too much fun watching them." Victor replies as he turns to watch the fight again.

By this time Blake is nearly a bloody mess. His face is covered in blood as is his clothes. Most of the jocks are in a much worse state though. Two of them have a broken arm by this time. The two remaining jocks punch towards Blake as he blocks the punches with his hands before back flipping, using his two feet to hit the jocks and knock them down for good this time. Blake looks around as everyone begins to boo him and even throw things at him.

"All right that is enough!" Victor's voice thunders through the hall as he walks through the crowd. He looks at Blake and his bloody face before looking down at the jocks.

"Blake attacked them in cold blood sir!" a girl tells Victor as Blake gets a shocked look to his face.

"What!? They attacked me!" he shouts in his defense.

"Like we can trust the word of the son to a follower of Enigma." the girl smarts back as Blake begins to shake.

"That's quite enough! Everyone will get to their classes now!" Victor shouts at the group at they quietly leave the scene. "Blake, help me get them to the nurses office." Victor tells him as he helps two boys stand to their feet.

_**They need a hospital after fighting with me.**_

"Yes sir." Blake replies as he helps the other two up. The floor was a bit bloody as well, the janitor walks around the corner before shaking his head back and forth. Victor sits with Blake as the nurse helps the four jocks with their broken bones.

"It looks like you were having fun out there." Victor teases Blake.

"They started to spit out false things about my dad. I was not going to stand there and take that crap." Blake tells him as he looks at the jocks. "Maybe I took it too hard on them…?" asks Blake as Victor laughs.

"I don't think they are going to be playing in too many football games this season." Victor continues to laugh as Blake chuckles a bit.

"Get to class Blake, I will see you later in mine." Victor tells him before handing him a wet rag for his cuts.

"I will, thanks Mr. Sigma." says Blake as Victor turns to him.

"Don't worry about the Mr. Sigma stuff. When we are not in class you can call me Victor." he says before walking away.

"Young man?" the elderly nurse asks as Blake turns to her.

"What is it?" he returns while she looks to the jocks.

"They will need to go to the hospital… what did you do to them?" asks the nurse as Blake gets a stressed face.

"Just make sure the doctors know to relocate their bones… they should be fine after that." Blake replies as he begins to leave the room. "Later guys." he tells the jocks as he leaves the room.

"Screw you Maverick!" one shouts before grabbing his side in pain.

_**It was starting to look like a very long day to say the least… I made it through one class before another group of guys made the stupid choice to try and fight me. What part of highest score in black belt do they not understand? In order to get the black belt you have to pass a test that includes fighting off a group of already trained fighters! After I made another mess the Principle called me to her office and chewed me out for a bit. My brother and sister walked past the office at one point before laughing to themselves. I'm glad they found it funny because I didn't. I knew not to screw with my brother though, he was a black belt as well, and he knew about as much as I did. After leaving the office it was already lunch time, finally a break from all of the drama. Even though nobody, even Emily… nobody wanted to sit with me… it was peaceful.**_

"Hey there." a voice comes from behind as Blake turns around to see the boy with the brown leather jacket standing there with his tray of food.

"Yeah?" asks Blake.

"Mind if I sit down?" he asks while Blake shrugs his shoulders.

"Are you sure you don't mind sitting with the son of a killer?" asks Blake before the boy shakes his head.

"I don't believe stuff like that so easy." the boy replies while taking a bite out of his taco.

"My name is Blake Maverick." he introduces himself.

"Believe me, I know your name by now…" he replies before looking around to see that most of the people there are watching them.

"I guess so…" Blake says while sighing to himself.

"I'm sorry about running off in a hurry the other day. I had… very important things to take care of. My name is Jacob Wright." the boy finally introduces himself as the two shake hands.

"You don't care about sitting with me?" asks Blake.

"You're new here, so you don't know my reputation." Jacob says while finishing his taco.

_**Great, now someone with a reputation is hanging out with me. What's next?**_

"What is your reputation?" asks Blake while digging into his bag of food.

"Long story made short… I've beaten up guys far worse than the jocks you beat this morning. Nice back flip by the way. You were holding back on them." Jacob says while raising his left eyebrow.

"I didn't want to hear their crap about my father… so I shut them up. Maybe they won't talk about him anymore." Blake says while taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Believe me, it's not going to be that easy. Now that you beat them up, and several witnesses saw you do so, it's going to be a hard year for you." Jacob tells him while drinking from his glass.

"You seem like you speak from experience." states Blake.

"If you're ever in any trouble, I have your back Blake. I have been in your shoes in one way or another." Jacob tells him before his white PET begins to beep at him.

"Thanks I guess…" Blake says before Jacob stands to his feet.

"I have to go, but I'll see you around." Jacob tells him as he walks away from the table.

_**He has to go? We're in the middle of school and the guy is walking out like it is nothing! Why does the trouble always find me…?**_

"Hey Maverick!" a cocky voice calls from behind.

_**I guess I should ask that question again…**_

"You beat up all of our buddies this morning! Since it seems like you're a decent fighter in the real world… how about a net battle?" asks a boy with blonde hair. He is wearing a white robe looking outfit.

"Why would I want to net battle you when I can walk all over you right now?" asks Blake as the blonde laughs to himself.

"If you lay one finger on me I'll make sure that my father puts your entire family in jail!" the boy laughs as some of the other kids laugh with him.

"Oh I get it, you're one of those rich pricks that lets their daddy's do all of the dirty work for them." Blake says as the blonde begins to get upset.

"At least my father isn't a dead criminal." the boy comes back as the crowd gathers around them.

"Are you sure that you want your not so pretty face to get messed up even further?" questions Blake as his PET begins to beep.

"Blake, just net battle them. You're in enough trouble as is." Zero tells him as Blake sighs to himself.

"Fine, after school is over. You better bring your best Net Navi rich boy." Blake threatens as he walks out of the lunch room.

_**The day was pretty much standard after all of that. I finished my classes and kept my distance from my history teacher… the poor woman had already heard of what I did to the jocks that morning. She looked like she was frozen still when I walked into the room. After that it was time for the first gym class of the year. After everyone saw what I did to the jocks, they wanted to keep me from playing on both teams… it was just a game of dodge ball. But I guess that is how it goes… I think Mr. Sigma is the only teacher that treats me like a normal person. After school the crowds of students gathered around the net battle arena in the middle of the school. It was built like an actual arena too. There is a large dome at the top of the area with a smaller version of that dome below where you plug in your Navi. All around the net battle dome is dozens upon dozens of seats, like a football game I guess.**_

"Are you ready to lose?" asks the rich boy.

"I can't believe you have to actually use such a cliché line as that as your opening." Blake replies with a blank stare.

"Enough of this! Plug in Deltaman!" the boy shouts as he aims his PET towards the terminal.

_**Deltaman…?**_

"I'm not even going to worry about the stupid catch phrases…" Blake tells himself as he sends Zero inside of the terminal.

_**I'm not even going to start with this guys Net Navi. It looks like a origami bird gone horribly wrong. All of its armor looks folded and it even looks like it has peacock tails? Why did he even call him Deltaman!? He is red and black with freakishly long arms! This crap finds me… I don't search for it.**_

"Zero!" shouts Blake as the small light red Navi dashes forward at an incredible speed.

"Now I know where I have seen this Net Navi!" Victor thinks to himself as he watches from the crowds. "This is my lost project! I remember this form after one of the Zero Viruses returned to my servers damaged… but how did Zero find his way to Blake of all people? No matter… it is time to test this form." he continues thinking to himself.

Blake presses his finger against the pistol on his PET's hologram screen as it materializes in Zero's left hand. He takes aim instantly as Deltaman moves to the right to avoid being shot. Zero fires as Deltaman fades out of view. Zero becomes shocked as Deltaman appears behind him while attacking him with his arms. As Zero rolls along the ground a blast of lightning strikes Deltaman down before deleting him.

"No!! My Deltaman!!" the rich boy screams as he begins to cry.

"What happened?" asks Blake before a large E appears in the middle of the cyber world.

"Blake! Something is coming out of that!" Zero shouts as he begins to watch a portal open up.

"Alright Zero, let's see if you can handle yourself against one of my powerful creations." Victor thinks to himself while grinning. Out of the portal steps a Net Navi that is the same size as Zero.

It has blood red armor all over with some black stripes going through the joint areas. The face mask is a lighter red color with another black stripe going through the middle. The red eyes glow brighter as it looks at Zero. The armor is nothing but spikes all over the Navi. It holds its right arm towards Zero before two spikes extend from its wrist gauntlet.

"What now Zero?" asks Blake while Zero looks back at him.

"We delete this thing… what else can we do?" Zero returns as he faces towards the Navi.

"Go get him my virus warrior, Axis!" Victor thinks before the blood red Navi lunges towards Zero.

Before Zero knew what was going on, the spike Navi was attacking him with a barrage of slashes and kicks. The light red Navi flies back before staggering to his feet. He looks at his pistol as it falls apart in his hand. Blake instantly sends him the saber as Zero runs towards the evil Navi. The two clash on the first strike before the virus Navi begins another rapid attack.

"I'll help out Zero! Hold on!" Blake tells him as he presses on a folder icon. It brings up a large library of battle chips for him to select.

"Hurry Blake…!" Zero shouts as he struggles to keep the blood red Navi back.

"How about… this one!" Blake says as he presses down on one of the chips.

Zero disappears before appearing above the Navi. He comes crashing down on it before a cloud of cyber dust rises from the attack. Zero is suddenly thrown out of the cloud as the virus Navi runs towards him. Zero's saber falls out of his right hand before a large silver fist forms on his left hand. He uppercuts the evil Navi before it flies back and hit's the ground. The dark red Navi extends the spikes on the other hand before rushing towards Zero, this time spinning rapidly. Zero punches towards the spinning Navi but is thrown back due to the power of the attack. Blake presses down on another chip before Zero's right hand forms into what looks like a buster gun. Zero stands to his feet before firing, the blast scatters into many shots as it seems to bounce off of the Navi.

"Those old battle chips will not save you!" Axis finally speaks as he rushes forward, slashing at Zero wildly.

Zero is thrown back as data begins to leak out of many of his wombs. He rolls along the cyber ground before flipping over to regain his stance. Instantly Blake sends him another chip, this time his left arm forms into a saber. Zero dashes forward before stepping to the side as he nears Axis. He attacks from the side before the dark red Navi kicks him away. Zero staggers to his feet again as Blake starts to feel hopeless. Suddenly another portal opens between the two fighters. This time it is a normal data portal, out of it steps another Net Navi. This one is white with gold trimming on the wrist guards and knee caps. This Navi has a white vest that is open with a black body suit. He has white arm guards that are thin, as well as his leg guards. This Navi has black hair that is long enough to be shaggy looking. This Navi looks at Zero with his silver eyes before looking towards Axis.

"Who are you?" asks Zero as he takes a step back.

"How dare you interrupt this battle!" shouts Axis as he runs towards the new Navi.

"Delete him Commander." a voice speaks to the white Navi.

"Right away." the Navi replies as two gun blades materialize in the Navi's hands.

The white gun blades form a circle wrist guard as the sharp looking blades extend from the top and bottom of the guns. The white Navi takes one step forward before it looks like he warped over to Axis while attacking it. Axis actually looks like it is struggling as it defends against the fast attacks of the white Navi. Commander leaps back before firing many rounds into Axis. As the Navi begins to leak data it lunges towards the white Navi. Suddenly Commander disappears as Axis stops in place. From Behind Commander sticks his two blades into Axis before firing his weapons. Axis is deleted right then and there as Blake watches in awe. Commander looks at Zero before logging out of the dome. Everyone in the crowds of students is amazed at the power of the white Navi.

"I did not expect that white Navi to appear and ruin things… it is no matter now. This Zero is weak compared to the original. It seems like I do not have to waste my time on Blake after all…" Victor thinks to himself as he leaves the area. In the shadows of the arena Jacob is looking at his PET as Commander materializes inside of it.

"Good job Commander. I didn't expect Enigma to show up at this school… but it proves that my suspicions about Blake are true. He has the original Zero… but the question is… how will he use him?" Jacob asks as he looks at Commander.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Scene 1 End**


	5. ZNC2 Scene 2: A Rainy Day

**I would like to start this scene off with a reply to one of the reviews for this story. A review posted by "???" stated that the only complaint this user has was that there needed to be more Navi interaction. I am not going to bash you so please do not worry about that. I thought about it for a little while and I figured that I needed to explain this early on rather than later on in the story. It was already stated in the first Chapter, Scene 2, that Blake does not like Net Navi's nor does he like to net battle. I wanted to slowly move his character along in the story until the time comes for him to net battle more often. So basically I am developing his character besides just throwing him into random net battles like the Anime of the actual RockmanEXE did with Netto/Lan and Rockman/Megaman. I hope that explains a little bit for anyone out there wondering why there hasn't been very many net battles, even though this is an EXE based story. Have a nice day everyone, and remember to clean out the cache of your PET's! Otherwise your Navi's will never let you hear your alarm clocks in the morning!  
**

* * *

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 2: Baby Steps**

**Scene 2: A Rainy Day**

**

* * *

**_**Saturday morning came very quickly for me. After the fight against the strange spiked Navi at school I have been wondering to myself… is someone or something after me? Have I ticked off something somehow? Is this about Zero somehow? It's not my fault that he just appeared inside of my PET! Although I wanted to sleep this morning I knew that I had to get up and help my mom around the house. It was the least I could do since she does not want to talk about dad… I wish there was something I could do… I feel so useless right now. I figured this was a good of time as any because my two siblings are out for the day, so maybe she will talk to me about him.**_

Blake walks out of the shower before wrapping a towel around himself. He looks into the large mirror in front of him before closing his eyes, thinking about his father. A few tears escape his tightly shut eyes before he punches the wall next to the mirror. Blake finally opens his eyes to look at himself in the mirror, not being able to stop the tears coming from his eyes. He takes the towel from his waist and begins to dry his hair, being careful not to slip on the tiled floor.

"I know he would never commit any of those crimes… someone wanted him to stay out of the way." Blake mutters to himself as he can only think of clearing his fathers name.

He then takes his blue tooth brush out of the top drawer along with the tube of toothpaste. A few moments later he walks out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist. He walks into his room for a few moments before walking back out with his clothes on. As he straps his PET on his wrist the screen turns on showing Zero's image.

"Good morning Blake." greets Zero as Blake sighs.

"Good morning Zero." returns Blake as he starts to walk down the stairs.

Blake can already hear his mother cleaning the kitchen downstairs. The sounds of water running and pots banging up against each other was a dead give away. The brown haired boy tries to sneak into the kitchen without being heard or seen as his mother begins to smile to herself.

"I know you're there Blake." she suddenly speaks as he sighs.

"Mothers have to have a spider sense or something." jokes Blake as he walks up to her.

"Mothers are real life super heroes you know." she replies before handing him a silver pan. "Want to help me clean?" she asks as Blake takes the pan.

_**Even though we clean everyday of the week, Saturday was the one day that me and my mom could talk one on one. Every other day the house either had guests or my brother and sister are lounging around. This was the one day we could stay in touch with each other.**_

"Mom… you know that you have to talk about dad sooner or later." Blake suddenly speaks after putting up one of the pots.

"I don't want to Blake…" she replies as Blake can feel her pain.

"Keeping it stored up inside is not good for you…" he continues as she drops one of the pots.

"I don't want to talk about him Blake." she tells him while bending down to pick up the pot.

"Mom!" Blake nearly shouts as she stands to her feet without the pot.

"I said no Blake! I can't talk about him! I just can't! Do you understand that Blake!?" she screams at him as he looks to his PET.

"I'm sorry mom… I'll leave you alone." he tells her as he leaves the kitchen. His mom leans against the counter before slowly sliding down to the floor. She begins to cry as Blake walks up the stairs, stopping as he hears her crying. He shakes his head before continuing up the stairs, being quick to shut his door.

"I can't stand to see her like this… but I know there isn't anything I can do…" Blake mutters to himself as Zero closes his eyes.

"I am hurting for his mother… Net Navi's are not suppose to feel sorrow or pain… yet I feel both…" the red Navi thinks to himself as Blake sits down at his desk.

"Zero?" asks Blake.

"What is it?" returns his Navi while opening his eyes.

"Never mind…" Blake quickly replies.

_**He's a Net Navi for crying out loud, why on Earth would I ask him about feelings? I must be out of my mind…**_

"Do you think I was wrong by trying to force my mom to talk?" asks Blake before Zero crosses his arms.

"It is true when you told her that it is not good for her to keep it stored up inside of her. On the other hand it might be best for you to wait for her to come to you with this conversation." replies Zero as Blake seemed to be shocked.

_**This guy is full of surprises.**_

"I can't stay in this house… I need to go for a walk." Blake says out loud before walking out of his room, making sure to leave quietly. He walks down the stairs like normal before walking out of the house, without even looking towards the kitchen.

_**I just didn't know what else to do… a good walk might be what I need in order to clear my thoughts. Although I got the feeling that I picked the wrong morning for a walk. It seemed like everyone in the world was in the neighborhood, all watching me! Since the school is actually in the middle of an extremely large box of homes, everyone from school was going to be watching me more than likely. Half an hour later I walk into the shopping strip about half a mile from my home. I'm a fast walker after all. The shopping strip was about a mile long, with tons of food courts, clothing stores and even arcades. I knew I wasn't wanted in the arcades because every time I attempted to walk in one, a group of guys stood in the doorway. I knew I could take them out, but I didn't want to add to the problems. By that time it was already noon, a clasp of thunder rumbled in the sky before it began to rain. Perfect… I walked around in the rain for about an hour as everyone continued to stare at me. All of the girls laughed at me too, not that it was different than any other time girls have laughed at me.**_

"Stop laughing at him! He hasn't done anything!" one girl tells the others as they give her a strange look.

"You know who that is right? Blake Maverick! I'm told that if you touch him he will pour that deadly virus all over you!" another girl claims as the others gasp. The girl that tried to stand up for him shakes her head before running out of the clothes store with an umbrella in her left hand. Blake stops near a bench before sitting down and putting his head back, looking up at the sky as the rain continues to pour down on top of him.

"Excuse me… Blake?" a girls voice calls to him as he seems to not hear her. "Hello?" she tries to greet, this time walking over to the back side of the bench. She leans towards him as Blake opens his eyes to see her staring at him with the umbrella covering both of them.

_**Now I know what you're thinking, that this must be the love interest of the story. You'd be correct.**_

"Ah!" Blake shouts as he sits straight up, looking back at the girl.

"You really shouldn't be out in the rain without an umbrella Blake." she tells him as Blake raises his left eye brow.

_**This girl had to be an angel… her face was the cutest I have ever seen. Her lips had a light shade of red which made her look even cuter. Her crystal blue eyes had such a innocent and gentle feeling to them. Her long dirty blonde hair was wet, which only added to the moment. At the moment this girl was wearing a grey jogging outfit with white shoes on. Her right hand was to her side but in a girly way, which is the only way I can describe that.**_

"How do you know my name?" he asks her as she sits down next to him.

"You're serious? Everyone in school talks about the horrible Blake Maverick who is the son of the creator of the Maverick Virus!" the girl replies as Blake looks away from her.

"Oh… so you're here to make fun of me too." he grunts while leaning forward.

"No… not really. I'm actually new here. My father was transferred here about a week ago, so he could start working for a major software company. I just started school yesterday. My name is Faith Alston." she introduces herself as Blake looks at her.

_**Faith… what a name. Do you ever have the feeling of being tired, but at the same time so full of energy? I feel a lot like that at the moment.**_

"You said that you're new at the school? You shouldn't be seen with me… it will ruin the rest of your high school years." Blake tells her as he sits back.

"I don't care about that. I've heard many things about you, but so far none of them are true." she replies before sticking the umbrella down in the cracks of the bench. She then waves to him before running out into the rain. Blake watches her before realizing that a dump truck was speeding towards her as she enters the street.

"Faith!!" he yells as she turns to him, then turns to the dump truck nearing her. The driver of the truck slams on his breaks but a little bit too late.

"Faith!" her friends scream from the shop as they rush towards her. Blake tackles her from the side as the two of them barely roll out of the way of the dump truck, hearing a loud bang along the way. The two of them roll along the ground as the truck comes to a screeching halt behind them.

"Are you alright?" asks Blake as he looks at her face to face, his body on top of hers with his hands next to her head. The rain continues to pour as the two gaze into the others eyes.

"I-I'm okay… thank you Blake." she replies as Blake helps her stand to her feet, noticing that he has a sharp pain shooting through his left leg. Everyone stands back in shock as the two of them stand up, still watching Blake closely.

"Did you see that…? He saved her!" a girl tells another as they begin to talk amongst each other.

"He was just trying to get fresh with her." another girl claims as she walks away from the crowd.

"That dude can run! He looked like a human blur or something!" one of the guys speaks up while crossing his arms.

"Sorry if I touched you in a wrong way by mistake…" Blake tells her as he looks away, still ignoring the pain in his left leg.

"Most guys would run off to brag about how they touched this or grabbed that… but you apologize on the spot. Don't worry Blake, your hands never left my back." she tells him as she takes notice that his arms are bleeding with many cuts and skin hanging off.

"He cushioned me the entire time?" she thinks to herself while feeling a bit embarrassed as it clearly shows on her face.

"Are you two kids alright?" the truck driver asks them as he runs up to them while the crowd around them moves on to other things.

"We're fine sir, thank you for stopping." Blake replies as he turns to him.

"Those are some pretty nasty cuts, I'll take you to the hospital if you want. It's against company policy to drive you anywhere but I don't care." the driver tells him as Blake shakes his head.

"I'll be fine." Blake replies as he limps away from her to go back to the bench. She takes notice that he left his PET there under the umbrella.

"He's limping away… he's hurt!" Faith thinks to herself as she runs over to him, putting his arm around her.

"What are you…" "I'm helping you." Faith interrupts him as she sits him down on the bench.

"Are you alright Blake?" asks Zero from the PET.

"A bit banged up… I need to wrap my arms in something so the bleeding will stop." Blake tells Zero before he can hear Faith unzipping the top part of her jogging outfit. He looks to her and can see that she is ripping it in half so he can wrap them around his arms. Faith is wearing a white short sleeve shirt under the top part of the outfit.

"You'll get too cold like that." he says while resisting the two ripped parts.

"You're going to tell me this after I have ripped this apart? Just let me help you Blake." she returns as he sits up.

Faith runs off to a store before coming back moments later with a large jug of water. She holds his arms out in front of him before pouring the water on his arms. All of the dirt and dead skin wash away as Blake flinches every now and then. She then wraps the pieces of clothing around his arms firmly before starting to shake and tremble, Blake could see that she was getting cold. The rain continues to pour as Faith finally finishes with Blake's rigged bandages before beginning to cough a bit.

"Faith, go on home. I'll be fine from here on." Blake tells her as she looks at him.

"I can't. I don't see my friends anymore… they must have left me because I was over here with you… I don't have keys to my apartment yet and I don't even own a cell phone." she replies while wrapping her arms around her.

"Don't you have a PET?" asks Blake.

"No." she replies while shaking her dripping wet head.

_**I knew that I had to get her some place warm and fast, otherwise she was going to catch something really bad. It would be all my fault too…**_

"I'm not about to let you catch your cold of death here. Come on, I'll take you back to my house. My mom will be able to take care of you and give you something warm to eat and drink." Blake tells her as she gives him a strange look.

"I'm not sure… what if my friends come back for me?" she asks.

"If they were your friends, they wouldn't of left you with someone they thought to be a killer." he points out as she looks down.

"I guess you're right." she replies as the two of them stand.

Blake grabs his PET and straps it around his right wrist as Faith holds the umbrella over them. She puts Blake's left arm over her again before they walk down the shopping strip. As they walk down the streets they notice that everyone is inside of the stores because of the pouring rain, not even looking at Blake and Faith for long. They walk past a covered alley as three bullies take notice to Faith helping Blake walk down the strip. The bullies walk out into the rain before circling Faith and Blake.

"Now what is a pretty girl like you doing with scum like him?" the one with a beanie asks her as he walks closer to them.

"He's hurt… I'm helping him home." replies Faith as it sounds like Blake is almost growling.

"Don't do it Blake, you're not well enough." Zero tells him as the two bullies from behind walk closer.

"You shouldn't trust this guy, his father is after all the creator of the Maverick Virus. Just leave the dirt here and we'll take you home." the one in front persists as he takes another step closer.

"He's my friend so leave us alone!" she shouts at them as they begin to get upset.

"Friend? You mean scum like him has friends!? Get away from him girl!" the bully shouts as he pushes Blake out of the way. He hits the ground as the two from behind Faith grab her and begin to drag her in the alley.

"We'll teach her a lesson in manners." the guy with the beanie says while spitting on Blake's head. He begins to walk away before Blake grabs his left foot. The two guys in the alley throw her against the back alley wall before she huddles up in the corner with tears rolling out of her eyes. Suddenly the bully with the beanie is thrown against a group of trash cans as the two turn around to see Blake staggering towards them.

"If you lay one more finger on her… I'll make sure you leave this alley feeling a lot worse than me." he tells them as he drags his left leg along.

"You're kidding us right?" one asks as he walks over to Blake before punching towards him. Blake catches the punch as he hides his face from Faith. The other bully grabs her arm and begins to shake her back and forth as Blake begins to tighten his grip on the first bullies fist.

"I warned you." Blake speaks as he looks up at the bully with nothing but fire in his eyes.

At that moment Blake punches him in the stomach so hard that he passes out on the spot. The bully harassing Faith starts to lift her shirt up before a trash can lid hits him in the back. The bully cries out in pain as Blake staggers towards him. The bully kicks at his left leg as Blake cries out in pain. The bully does it again before Blake spins around and kicks him in the jaw with his right foot, sending him to the ground with that kick. The bully with the beanie comes to before taking notice to Blake limping towards Faith. He runs towards Blake as Faith shouts to look behind him. Blake quickly turns to punch the bully in the face as he crashes to the ground. Blake looks around as the three bullies remain knocked out. He smiles at Faith as she runs at him and hugs him.

"Are you alright Blake!?" she asks him while hugging him tightly.

"I'm fine… let's keep going." he replies as they leave the alley.

_**Finally we reach my house, after walking for an hour. When my mom saw the condition I was in she started to scream at me for doing this to myself. I know that she knew I helped Faith though. After she tended to my wounds she let Faith e-mail her father to let him know where she was and what had happened. He sent an e-mail back to her immediately letting her know that he would be right there.**_

"Blake, my father is here." Faith tells Blake as he opens his eyes while sitting on the couch. A man wearing a rain yellow rain coat. He has blonde hair with blue eyes, Blake figured that is where Faith gets her eyes.

"So you're the one who saved my girl not once, but twice?" he asks as Blake struggles to stand to his feet and greet the man properly. "Don't worry about getting up." the man tells him as Blake insists on standing up to shake his hand. He does so as the man smiles at his determination.

"I'm sorry that Faith had to go through all of that… just because of me." Blake says as he sits back down on the couch.

"It's wasn't your fault Blake!" Faith tells him as her father steps forward.

"It's because of you that my daughter is safe today. From what she says a lot of things could have happened to her but you stopped them all. You even hurt yourself in the process of keeping her safe. I have heard about your father and I have heard about you and your family… now I believe all of it to be fake." the man tells Blake as he looks to the ground.

"Thank you for saying that sir… you'd be one of the few to believe that." Blake tells him as the man opens his rain coat and digs into his left pocket.

"I want you to have something… Faith mentioned that you have a PET so I wanted to give you something for what you have done today." the man tells him before walking over to him and handing him a small box that has a port on the bottom of it.

"What is it?" asks Blake as he looks at it.

"That is a data storage unit for PET's. It's the first complete version of a new product that is coming out very soon. You will have to take out the one on your PET right now and replace it with that one in your hand. It will grant your Navi the ability to adapt to the area or evolve his battle tactics." he tells Blake as his daughter seems to shake her head.

"Evolve…?" asks Blake as the man chuckles a bit.

"You'll find out soon enough Blake. Now I'm afraid we have to be going. I'm sure you will see Faith in school Monday morning. Good day to you too, thank you for taking care of Faith Mrs. Maverick." the man says to Blake's mom as they walk out of the house.

_**Today sucked… but I met Faith… I sure hope those guys don't try anything funny like reporting me to the cops. That would be stupid because Faith is a witness to everything they tried… her dad seems like a nice guy, he even gave me a free upgrade to my PET! Faith said that he is a programmer for a major company… I wonder which one she is talking about? I'm going to be sore for weeks now… the bad part is those guys down the alley go to my school… the crap always finds me.**_

As Faith's father unlocks their apartment for her she runs inside of the house to get a quick drink of water. The living room and kitchen is full of boxes that have yet to be unpacked. Her father takes his rain coat off before taking off the sweater underneath. He pulls his shoes off before sitting down on the couch to rest for a moment. Faith runs to her room before locking the door behind her. She looks around her room which also has boxes lined along the wall. She puts her bed down and makes it all nice and neat before jumping on it, giggling the entire time. She looks up at the ceiling while catching herself thinking about Blake.

"Oh man… I've got it bad now…" she mutters to herself while covering her eyes.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Scene 2 End**


	6. ZNC2 Scene 3: Second Encounter

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 2: Baby Steps**

**Scene 3: Second Encounter**

* * *

_**The weekend was interesting to say the least. When I woke up Sunday morning I found out that my house was bombed with toilet paper. It made me wonder who was behind it, but with a neighborhood full of people that dislike me… I wasn't about to go door to door asking who did it. Besides, the trouble finds me of course. Sunday was really boring this time around, my friends have more than likely left me because of everything. When Monday morning came around I found myself actually looking forward to school. Not just because Faith was going to be there, but because I was eager to see how everyone was going to treat me. I'm sure that by now basically everyone at school knows about me saving Faith… maybe they will change their minds about me?**_

"Hey look! It's the guy who forces himself on girls!" a football player shouts as Blake enters the schools front doors with his backpack, still limping with his left leg. At the moment Blake is wearing white bandages all over his arms.

_**I was wrong.**_

"Yeah I heard he pushed a girl out of the way of a truck just to get fresh!" another football player adds as Blake gets a stressed look to his face, being quick to ignore the comments.

_**This year of school was going to suck so much.**_

"Hey virus boy!" a boy says to him while passing by.

"Don't even look at me!" a girl with green hair tells him while walking away from her locker.

Blake sighs as he walks up to his locker, hoping to get to his first class very soon. As he opens his locker dozens of small capsules fall out and crash on the floor. Everyone stops to laugh at him as he picks up one of the capsules. On one of the capsules is written Love from Dad. As everyone laughs around him Blake begins to shake and tremble before breaking the capsule in his hand. A bit of blood runs down his arm while a group of boys walk over to him.

"Hey Maverick, I see your father left you some toys." one of them smugly says to him before receiving an instant punch to the face. The boy slams up against the opposite side of the lockers as Blake takes a fighting stance as the others begin to surround him. Outside of that group the students gather around to begin chanting the usual fighting words.

"Are you sure that you want to screw with me!? It has been proven before that I can take out any number of you idiots that try to beat me up! Come and get it!!" Blake shouts at them before actually lunging towards the group.

He crashes into them as they hit the floor, one grabs Blake from behind and flips him over to try and attempt a slam on the ground. Blake uses his right foot to kick off of the set of lockers there to push his attacker off his feet. By this time all of the other boys are on their feet and ready to fight. Blake takes another fighting stance before punching one in the face, quickly jabbing another in the stomach. As he brings his elbow around he smacks one on the jaw as he staggers backwards while holding his face. By this time the crowd is actually in favor of Blake instead of the others. The group of attackers line up and charge at him in a line formation. Blake does a roundhouse kick on the first before grabbing his leg and throws him at the remaining line. As they fall down like dominos the Principle walks up behind the crowd, quickly making her way to the fight scene.

"That's is enough!" she shouts as everyone scatters. She can see Blake next to the lockers, panting and gasping for air before looking at the group of boys lying on the floor, moaning and groaning after that beat down.

"Blake… go to my office at once." she tells him in an aggravated tone with her eyes twitching. Without a word Blake shuts his locker door, picks up his backpack and walks away while stepping on the capsules under him.

"You boys better get to the nurses office." the Principle tells them while sighing to herself.

As she walks away the five boys stagger to their feet before limping to the nurses office down the hallway. The bell rings as the students run to class right away. The janitor walks around the corner before screaming at the mess that suddenly showed up after cleaning the hallway half an hour before. Blake sits down in front of the Principle's desk, setting his backpack down next to him on the red carpet floor. Mrs. Helpers walks into the room before closing the door behind her. She sighs while walking over to her seat, slowly sitting down while facing Blake.

"Blake… I'm going to ask you as calmly as possible… did you throw the first punch?" she asks him as Blake looks away.

"Yeah." he replies as she rubs her forehead.

"Why?" she continues before Blake places the broken capsule on her desk, his hand still bleeding from crushing it.

"What is this…?" she whispers before reading the paper on the capsule. She shakes her head before throwing the capsule in the top desk drawer.

"I'm sorry that I cause so much trouble." Blake says to her as she can clearly hear the pain in his voice.

"I know that you're going through" "You don't know anything!" he interrupts as she looks away from him.

"Blake, you can't keep beating up everyone who says something you don't like. If you keep going like this, you're going to have an even worse reputation at this school. Because of this, I am giving you a weeks worth of detention. I hope you will learn something out of it." she tells him before allowing him to leave. After he leaves the room she opens the drawer and looks at the capsule, squinting her eyes at the same time. Blake walks in to his science class as Victor gives him a strange look.

"It's nice of you to join us Mr. Maverick." he speaks as some of the students chuckle to themselves.

"I'm sorry Mr. Sigma." he replies while taking his seat, instantly noticing Faith sitting to the left of him. Now she is wearing a yellow shirt with a red skirt and long socks to cover her legs. She is still wearing the same shoes.

"Hi." she whispers as he gives her a gentle smile before she looks back towards Victor, who turns around to see someone sleeping in the back.

"Wake up!!" his voice thunders through the classroom as the boy jumps out of his seat.

_**I'm telling you, this man is going to give someone a heart attack.**_

"Now, we will start by discussing cell multiplication." Victor tells them as only a quarter of the class seemed to be interested.

_**Even though Mr. Sigma is my friend, I still hated his class. Although with Faith sitting next to me in that school girl outfit… made everything perfect at the moment. After science I found out that Faith was also in my history class, also sitting next to me. I knew that my teacher was seconds away from freaking out because she continued to stare at me and me only. It was even starting to freak the other students out. This woman does not need to be here, she needs to be at home, with a white jacket on. After the boring history class we went to lunch together. I picked a table in the back because hardly anyone sits there.**_

"Do you have everything unpacked yet?" asks Blake as he pulls out his usual ham sandwich.

"Not everything, just the most important things like clothes, dishes and bathroom stuff." she replies while eating her own cheese sandwich.

"So what does your dad do again?" asks Blake.

"He is actually a programmer for Chase, one of the largest software companies out there." she answers while eating a few chips.

"That's pretty cool, what does he program?" questions Blake.

"Have you put in that box he gave you Saturday?" she questions back.

"No… I forgot about it actually." he replies.

"He works in the department responsible for creating new things for PET's and such. You should try out that box he gave you sometime, he wouldn't stop talking about how great it was." Faith tells him before taking a drink of her grape soda.

_**That sucked… not only did I make her think I didn't like his gift, but I also forgot what her father does when she told me before… smooth Blake.**_

"I'll try it out when I get home, I haven't net battled since last week actually." Blake says while taking a drink from his own soda.

"I'm not in to the whole net battle thing either, even though PET's basically rule the world today." she laughs as she looks around the busy and loud cafeteria.

"I get the feeling I am going to have to learn how to become better…" he mutters to himself.

"Did you say something?" she asks him as he snaps his head towards her.

"U-Uh no… nothing." he replies while getting a stressed face.

"Whatever…" she returns while getting a puffed up look.

"You know, my mom really enjoyed your company Saturday. That is one of the first times I have seen her laugh since my dad died…" Blake says while finishing his sandwich.

"Your mom is a nice woman, I'd like to visit more often. How about after school today?" asks Faith as Blake seems to choke on the last bit of food.

"Well… I sort of have detention for the rest of the week… I beat up some guys because they started trash talking my dad." Blake explains since he wants to make sure she knew what happened.

"Oh… then how about we go shopping Saturday, this time without the trash truck or bullies?" she asks him while leaning towards him, nearly getting in his face.

"T-That's fine with me…" he replies as she moves away from him. He sighs a sigh of relief before drinking all of his soda in one gulp.

_**I have to say, girls have not been my strong suit. I normally freak out if they talk to me for too long… I know, I'm a pansy right? Well after lunch I went to my math class then literature, both of them Faith was in. School is starting to look better and better now! When gym class came around, all of the guys neglected to pick me as usual, so I was stuck as the referee for kickball. That was fine for me, I didn't really like the sport anyways. After that I made my way to the detention room. When I walked inside nobody was there, not even the detention teacher.**_

"Strange… where is Ms. West?" Blake asks himself as the door to the room suddenly slams shut. Blake attempts to open the door but it is locked tightly. He looks towards the window before running towards it. He quickly stops as a metal sheet slides down to block the window. The lights turn off before they begin to flicker. Finally the lights turn on fully again as the vents begin to slowly leak gas.

_**This is where the hero of the story pulls out putty, a wire and a battery to blow the door open.**_

"Help! Someone help I'm stuck in here!" Blake shouts as he bangs on the door before another metal sheet falls down to cover the door.

_**Sadly, I am not MacGyver.**_

"Blake!" Zero's voice comes from his backpack as he rushes over to it.

"The door is locked shut! Gas is coming out of the vents!" Blake informs his Navi.

"Plug me in to the school's system, I'll see what I can do." Zero calmly tells him as Blake looks around for a port. At the top right corner of the room her can see a security camera that looks like it was just recently put in.

"That looks like it will work! Go on Zero, see what you can do!" Blake says as he aims the PET towards the camera.

Zero materializes inside of the schools systems, taking instant notice that strange looking beast viruses have been attacking the systems there. He looks around the grey cyber world to see that an information circuit has been severed. Blake wastes no time to send him his pistol as the red Navi gets to work. The beast viruses look like small heads with yellow helmets on, but with a small tail behind them. They have small digging tools that they are using to destroy the systems. Zero fires a few rounds at the farthest virus as it is quickly deleted. The viruses then take notice to Zero and surround him, raising their small pick axes in the air. Zero watches them closely as they slam their axes in to the ground, creating multiple shockwaves. At the last moment Zero leaps into the air as the shockwaves collide beneath him.

"You've got chips coming your way!" Blake informs him as Zero tosses his pistol to the side.

"I'm ready for them." he replies as the viruses charge towards him.

Blake pulls up a folder on the screen as he scrolls down the list, selecting many of the battle chips along the way. A mini bomb forms in Zero's hands as he begins to throw them at the viruses. Zero then jumps backwards while a cannon forms on his right arm. He quickly fires as a row of viruses is deleted. The red Navi then rushes towards a small group with his arms held out to his sides. As he enters the middle of the group he presses down on his right foot hard before spinning rapidly with blades in his left and right hand. Zero's blue gem in the middle of his forehead begins to glow as he changes his fighting stances, each time seeming to be more and more confident. Blake finally sends him his saber to finish things. The saber forms in his right hand as he slashes at the remaining group of viruses, sending a shockwave of his own at them. As the last beast virus disappears Zero turns his attention to the severed information circuit. By this time the gas begins to clear in the room, allowing Blake to breath a bit better.

"What are we going to do about this circuit?" asks Blake while Zero looks around.

"You need to be more worried with how you're going to get out of that room." replies the Navi as he continues to look around.

"What's wrong?" asks Blake while coughing a bit.

"I sense… something else is here." returns Zero while taking another stance, still holding his saber steady.

"It seems like you know that I am here… well, I will show myself to you since that is the case." a voice speaks from above as Zero looks up. He can see a portal open up, the same kind of portal that the red spiked Navi came out of from before.

Out of the portal comes a Navi with silver armor all over, almost looking like a state of the art knight. This Navi carries two hammers on his back, a sign of strength for sure. The entire head is black but at the same time you can clearly see a sinister smile on the face. The chest plate is what you would expect from any knight, only seeming to be much thicker than normal. The same goes for the arms and legs.

"My name is Razeal, a virus warrior for Enigma! Blake Maverick, you will die today!" he shouts as the gas begins to leak again, only this time much faster.

"Why!? What did I do to Enigma!?" questions Blake as he begins to cough again.

"You have something that belongs to Enigma, a rather important piece of information that will be taken back. Of course we will just take it from your dead body." Razeal tells him as Zero steps in front of him.

"You're not killing him." Zero tells him as he runs towards him.

"You have no chance against me!" shouts the virus Navi as he pulls the two hammers off of his back.

Zero rushes towards the Navi thinking him to be slow. As he nears to attack with his saber Razeal instantly slams the hammers into Zero from above, slamming him to the ground. Zero's blue gem begins to rapidly flash as he struggles to stand to his feet after that first attack. The heavy knight walks towards Zero as the cyber ground even breaks apart from his power. He puts his foot on Zero's helmet and pushes down, instantly giving Zero pain. Blake sends him a chip as his Navi's form fades away, quickly appearing in the distance. He pants and struggles to form a fighting stance. Razeal laughs at this before hitting the ground with his two hammers. A massive shockwave hits Zero as he is thrown across the schools systems. He rolls off of a cyber cliff before hitting the ground below.

"Blake…" Zero speaks as the blue gem on his forehead continues to flash faster and faster. Suddenly the school system becomes a brighter shade of grey before becoming a light blue color.

"What is going on here?" asks Razeal as he looks towards the severed information circuit to see Commander standing there, behind him a fully repaired circuit. Just as soon as Razeal takes notice to him, Commander logs out instantly.

"Zero…?" asks Blake while Zero stands to his feet.

"It's no matter, I will still be able to delete this Navi." Razeal tells himself as he jumps down to Zero's location.

"Blake… I can't win." Zero tells him as his foe drops down in front of him, the ground breaks off into many pieces from the weight.

"I'm going to put in the box Faith's dad gave me, it's our only hope at this point!" Blake tells him before digging inside of his backpack. He pulls out the box on his PET before replacing it with the one from his backpack.

Razeal swings at Zero before a white line goes down Zero's body. The hammers connect with Zero dealing no damage at all. An extremely shocked Razeal takes a few steps back as Zero leaps backwards, feeling completely restored of power as he lands. Blake looks at his new chip library in amazement. He finds that there is another section to the library as he scrolls over to the right, taking notice of different colored armor and weapon icons.

"Zero! I'm going to send you some armor to deal with this guy!" Blake informs him as he selects a white colored armor.

Zero lifts into the air as the white line from before slowly moves down his body, changing his red armor to a pure white color. Zero's saber appears in his left hand as it begins to glow even brighter, even giving off heat from the saber. Zero takes a step forward to prepare to dash forward, but as soon as he takes another step he is instantly in front of Razeal. The virus Navi swings with his two hammers as Zero ducks to avoid the attacks. He then leaps into the air with his saber slicing upwards on Razeal. The virus warrior is instantly cut in half as Zero lands on his left knee behind him with his saber out to his side.

"You… truly are… the Virus King…" Razeal mutters before exploding into bits and pieces of data. Suddenly the blue gem shines brightly on Zero's forehead as he turns around and stretches his right hand towards the data floating around.

"I'll take your weapon now!" shouts Zero as his hand begins to glow. The data floating around becomes a small cyclone of data before being absorbed into Zero's hand. Blake hears a beeping noise coming from his PET before looking at the screen. On the screen next to Zero's pistol and saber is a new icon, showing two hammers lying across each other.

"He copied the weapon…?" asks Blake as the door finally opens up. A red light appears on the security camera as the window opens up as well. Victor sits in his classroom with two screens facing him. One is showing Blake inside of the detention room while the second one shows the cyber world where Zero is just logging out.

"I see… so Zero is stronger than I first thought. I really did want to spare Blake, but now I see that I have no choice… Zero will be mine once again no matter the cost. That white Navi that appeared for the second time… he has become a thorn in my side. I will remove anything that stands in my way." Victor thinks to himself as he disconnects from the schools system.

* * *

**End of Chapter 2**


	7. ZNC3 Scene 1: The Right Choice

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 3: Path Of The Hero**

**Scene 1: The Right Choice**

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**_**I managed to make it through my second week of school without any more problems as far as Enigma goes. On the other hand problems have been appearing in the school. On Thursday one of the parents of one of the football players I beat up called an emergency meeting with the Principle and the rest of the parents, of course my mother was excluded from this meeting. They demanded that I be taken out of the school and placed somewhere else, where I couldn't harm their kids. I guess I should have just let them tease me… Mrs. Helpers actually ignored most of their demands, saying that I was just going through hard times. She also pointed out that most of the guys I beat up provoked me in the first place by saying cruel things or in Monday's case, cruel jokes. I also informed Mrs. Helpers about being locked up inside of the detention room with the ever so cliché poison gas coming out of the vents event. She… wasn't too happy about that either… as a result I was relieved of detention but forced to clean up the school grounds instead. Great… I get to pick up trash. Again, Saturday morning came quickly for me. I left home early because I knew my mom was not ready to talk about dad yet… I can't blame her. As much as I wanted to stay and try to talk it out of her, I wanted to go to the shopping strip with Faith. Today was going to be only about her. I hope so at least…**_

"Zero?" asks Blake as he walks down his street while it is still dark outside.

"What is it?" returns Zero as his hologram image appears on Blake's left shoulder.

"How were you able to take Razeal's weapon?" asks Blake while running across the street.

"What are you talking about?" Zero asks with a confused face.

"What do you mean what am I talking about? You don't remember absorbing his data?" questions Blake while exiting his street.

"I do not remember anything like that. I can only recall deleting him, after that I returned to your PET." replies Zero.

"No, you stood still in the school systems for about half an hour before finally returning to the PET. Not only that, but you ignored every single word I said before returning." Blake informs him while walking towards the shopping strip.

_**Now I'm starting to get scared… I checked Zero's programming twice Monday night. There was not a single bug in his programming, not one! Now he is telling me that he just can't recall absorbing a virus Navi!**_

"I'm going to stay out of net battles for a while, just to be safe. I don't want anything to happen to…" Blake starts as he catches himself quickly.

"What is it?" asks Zero while looking towards him.

_**What is wrong with me…? I'm actually worried about what is going to happen to some stupid program! They don't have feelings or anything! What in the world…**_

"It's nothing Zero… I just want to enjoy today." replies Blake as he continues to walk.

As time passes by he finally reaches the shopping strip, completely clear of anyone before shopping hours. Blake finds the same bench where he met Faith and sits down, leaning back to look up at the sky. He tries to think about what they are going to do for the day, but one thought continues to appear in his head. Clearing his father's name was the only thing he could think about from then on. As the time passed by, more and more people walk past him as the shops begin to open. Finally around noon Faith walks up to him wearing blue jean pants with a blue long sleeve shirt on.

"Hi Blake!" she greets as he looks towards her.

"Hey Faith." he replies in a somewhat down tone.

"What's wrong?" she asks before blinking twice.

_**This was our day to hang out and get to know each other, I wasn't about to start talking to her about everything going on in my life!**_

"I'm just a bit upset about how things are turning out." Blake tells her as she sits down.

_**Dang.**_

"What do you mean?" she asks while tilting her head.

"Someone set up my dad… I want to find out who did it." Blake tells her as he looks away.

"But what will you do with the person when you find finally get your wish?" questions Faith as Blake looks to her.

"That's a good question… I'm not sure yet. I want to hurt this person so much. My mom hardly eats… she stays locked up in her room basically all day long without talking to anyone at all. My brother and sister help me clean the house but… we just want our mom to feel better…" says Blake while placing his hands over his face. Faith was silent and still for a few moments before she suddenly hugs him tightly.

"I'm sorry Blake, I really am." she tells him as Blake is shocked by this hug.

_**Her hug was so comforting… I didn't want to leave those arms, not for one second. But I knew that I had to sooner or later… but at that moment I was at peace.**_

"Come on, let's go enjoy ourselves." Blake says as he stands to his feet.

"Where are we going to go?" Faith asks while looking around.

"I'm not sure, let's just go with it!" Blake replies as he takes her by the hand and runs off.

_**I can't believe I just grabbed her hand without permission… she must think I'm a freak now.**_

"Lead the way!" Faith shouts as Blake seems to be shocked but at the same time smiles.

_**I should just stop talking about how I think she is going to react… I mean honestly…**_

"Let's go see if we can get something to eat for lunch, I've been here since five!" Blake tells her.

"You've been here since five!?" asks a shocked Faith as they run towards the food court.

_**After I bought us some food at the closest burger stand, we went to the arcade where I learned that girls can beat the ever living snot out of boys in games when they want to. She beat me at one of the best fighting games out there… she made me look like the school girl! We spent about an hour at the arcade before going to the movie theaters. We both agreed that we would watch a movie that had a good story to it… but sadly these days there is no good movies out. This time around she offered to buy the popcorn and drinks for the movie, I refused of course. It's just not right to allow a girl to pay for anything while spending time with her. After the two hour long movie we made our way back to the bench to talk to each other… talking with a girl or woman is suppose to be bad right?**_

"Where did you guys live before coming to ACDC?" asks Blake as he leans back.

"We lived in Yumland actually… the weather is strange there." replies Faith as she leans back herself.

"What did your dad do before working for Chase?" asks Blake.

"He was a freelance programmer, going back and forth to companies who needed his skills." replies Faith as she looks towards him. "What about your dad? What did he… I'm sorry…" she catches herself as Blake looks back at her.

"It's fine… my dad was a scientist. His mother died of cancer, so his entire life he searched for a cure so that nobody would have to go through that again. That's why…" starts Blake as Faith gets closer.

"What?" she asks as he looks away.

"That's why I will never believe that my father created that virus… never! I will get to the bottom of this Faith. I could care less about my name, or what happens to me. I want my father's name to be cleared." Blake explains while Faith gives him a strange look. She knocks on his head before laughing a bit.

"You're what, sixteen? You shouldn't worry about those sort of things at the moment! You would be better off to worry about your mother and school right now!" she tells him while shaking her head.

_**I knew that she was right, but I still have my goals. I intend to complete the tasks I have set before me no matter what.**_

"Now what?" asks Blake as he looks at the clock on his PET's screen. "It's four now… where do you want to go from here?" he adds another question as she looks around.

"Actually, I need to use the restroom. I'll be back in a few minutes Blake." Faith tells him before walking away. Blake sighs to himself before looking up at the sky once again.

Before Blake knew it, an hour had already passed by. A sudden feel of terror falls upon him as he jumps up from the bench to look for Faith. He knew that she would not leave without telling him first. He runs up and down the first quarter of the shopping strip, to all of the locations they visited before. She was nowhere to be found, giving Blake an even worse feeling. Suddenly his PET's begins to beep as Zero appears on the screen.

"Blake… there is a video link waiting for you to accept." Zero informs him as Blake pulls up the screen.

"Hello Blake Maverick, my name is not important at the moment…" a man with a cloak on greets him in a dark and warped voice.

"You're the leader of Enigma!" Blake replies as the cloaked man chuckles a bit.

"I see you have been watching the news." replies the man as Blake grits his teeth.

"What do you want from me?" Blake shouts at him as he looks around.

"How about we play a little game?" the man asks.

"Forget it! I'm not going to do anything you say!" returns Blake as the man holds up his right hand only to shake his index finger back and forth.

"You should really hear the rules before shouting yes or no…" the man says as he moves out of the way. Behind him is a large screen with two images on it. The first one is an image of Faith tied up to a chair with explosives all around her. The second image shows the same thing with a girl that Blake has never seen before.

"Where is she!?" screams Blake as people begin to take notice.

"Would you like to hear the rules of the game now?" the man asks as Blake is silent. "Good." the man adds as he moves back in front of the screen.

"What are the rules?" asks Blake while people move in closer to watch him.

"Isn't that the leader of Enigma?" one asks while looking at Blake.

"Is he trying to command this kid or something?" another asks.

"This game only has two rules, very simple ones actually. Save the girl you have started to love, or save the innocent girl that has nothing to do with this." the man tells him as the crowd gasps.

"Monster! Why are you doing this to me!?" shouts Blake as the crowd listens closely.

"Tsk tsk.. You are currently in the middle of the shopping strip, to your left is Faith, and to your right is the innocent. Both sides have an old warehouse that is rigged to explodes in half an hour. Even if you make it to one, you'll never reach the other in time. Choose their fate Blake Maverick!" the man tells him as Blake looks at the crowd.

"The choice is easy!" Blake tells himself as he instantly runs to his left.

"I'm going to call the authorities!" a woman shouts as she pulls out her cell phone.

_**I'm not about to let Faith die because of me or this stupid game! Hold on Faith, I'm coming for you!**_

He makes his way through the strip as the people quickly move out of his way. He looks at his PET to see that he has fifteen minutes left. He looks ahead to see the warehouse ahead of him. He crashes through the gates before falling to the ground from the sudden stop. He flips over before running towards the entrance of the warehouse, fully aware that this was a trap. As he enters the abandoned warehouse the lights turn on, revealing Faith all the way in the back still tied to the chair.

"Faith!" he calls out to her as she lifts her head to look at him, trying her hardest to scream him name.

"I see you have chosen your girl." the man's voice comes through the nearly broken down speakers.

"Tell me how to free her now!!" Blake demands as he begins to shake.

"Another simple rule, plug in to the warehouse systems and defeat my virus warrior! If you fail, you will die along side the girl! However if you cannot defeat my warrior within the next thirteen minutes you will die anyways!" the man tells him as Blake looks at his PET. He looks around as a panel next to him suddenly flips open, revealing two plug in ports.

"Plug in Zero! Take out his warrior!" Blake tells his Navi as he aims his PET at the first port.

Zero materializes inside of what looks like a warped cyber world. The ground was the only stable looking area, the rest actually looked like a black hole. Zero walks around for a moment before a sudden blast knocks him back. Zero flips upright before looking ahead to see a familiar red spiked Navi walking towards him.

"I have returned Zero… this time Axis will have his revenge!" the virus Navi tells him while holding his left arm towards Zero.

"Zero!" Blake shouts as his Navi's saber materializes in his right hand.

Blake instantly sends him other chips to help him fight. Zero warps around the area as Axis becomes annoyed. Zero then appears behind him as he attempts to attack with his saber. Axis instantly turns to counter with his own attack. As the two struggle to overpower the other, Axis' spikes begin to spark with electricity. Zero instantly flies back from an electric blast as Axis runs towards him. Zero snaps his head up at his foe before charging forward without even touching the ground. Axis slashes towards him with his left extended spike as Zero blocks the attack. At the same time the heroic Navi kicks off of the virus warrior as his pistol materializes in his left hand, instantly firing a barrage of bullets at him. Axis blocks with both arms as he disappears from view. As soon as Zero lands his foe appears behind him, slicing into his back with both arm weapons.

"You were lucky last time! This time you do not have anyone to save you!" Axis taunts as Zero struggles to hold himself up.

"Blake… I need your help!" Zero tells his Net Operator as he staggers to his feet.

"We're going to use your armor!" Blake replies as he scrolls over on the see through screen. He selects the white armor before selecting the hammer icon. A white line goes across Zero as two hammers the same height as he is appears on his back.

"Interesting…" Axis comments as Zero pulls the two hammers off of his back.

"This is new… I've never seen this type of system before! Where did Blake get this I wonder…?" the man in the cloak thinks to himself while watching with interest.

Zero slams the hammers into the ground as he uses the pull to lunge at Axis. He drop kicks the virus Navi before pulling the hammers back towards him. Axis leaps backwards as he barely avoids the hammers. Zero pulls the hammers out of the mini craters he just created before running towards Axis. The virus Navi fades out of view before appearing next to Zero, slicing through one of his hammers.

"You are slow in this form!" Axis tells him before kicking him in the chest. Zero flies back as his second hammer disappears. Zero's white armor disappears as he stands to his feet, holding his chest.

"Blake… what should we do?" asks Zero while gasping for air.

"We've got to… do something!" Blake replies as he begins to feel that there is nothing he can do to save Faith.

"You will be deleted!" Axis tells Zero as he picks him up by his helmet. Zero grabs his arm as he struggles to break free.

"Zero!" shouts Blake as Axis pulls back his right arm, preparing to deliver the final blow. Suddenly his left arm begins to melt away as Zero's hands are glowing red at the moment. At that moment Zero breaks free of the hold as he takes Axis' arm gauntlet with him.

"I'll take your weapon now!!" shouts Zero as the arm gauntlet is absorbed into his right hand. Suddenly a handle appears in his hands as two dark yellow energy spikes extend. The spikes are longer in the back compared to the front. The blue gem on his head is glowing at the moment while his armor seems to be healing itself.

"You… you took my weapon while at the same time using my armor to heal yourself!" Axis shouts at him as Blake is surprised as well.

"I will delete you now!" returns Zero as he runs forward holding the spikes behind him.

Axis quickly regenerates his left arm weapon as he prepares for Zero's attack. The light red Navi throws his right hand as if he was going to punch before the spike shoots forward, piercing straight through Axis' shoulder. Axis kicks him away before running forward, slashing wildly at Zero. The virus Navi leaps into the air suddenly as Zero uses his spikes to do the same thing. The two begin a rapid fight with each other as Zero attacks with the spikes lightning fast while Axis does the same thing. Right as they hit the ground Axis explodes with electricity, knocking Zero back a bit. The light red Navi holds his spikes forward as the electricity begins to focus on his spikes. Axis is shocked by this as he runs forward to attack. Zero dodges his fist before punching upwards. The electricity shoots out of the spikes before raining down on the two of them in the form of lightning strikes throwing them both back. Axis rolls along the ground as Zero flips to a fighting stance. He instantly dashes towards Axis while pulling back with his arms. Axis takes one look at him before logging out to avoid being deleted.

"Now let Faith go!" Blake shouts as he looks around.

"I am a man of my word Blake Maverick, she is free to go. However…" the man starts as an explosion is heard on the other side of the shopping strip. "The other girl has paid the price… it just does not pay to be the hero these days…" the man says as he begins to laugh.

"Shut up! Shut up!!" Blake screams as the speakers go silent, leaving a static sound behind.

_**After I untied Faith we left the warehouse in a hurry. As soon as we stepped outside we could see the smoke rising in the air from the second warehouse… an innocent girl died tonight. It was all my fault too… I saved Faith, but what about the other girl? Her family members… the pain I have just put them through… why? Even after everything that had happened today… I was not prepared for what I was going to find at home.**_

Blake walks up to his street only to see strobe lights going back and forth. He can see an ambulance parked in front of his home with his brother and sister standing out in front, crying. A cold and horrible feeling falls on Blake as he runs up to his house, quickly moving towards his brother and sister.

"What happened!?" he asks them as they turn around.

"Blake… mom had a heart attack…" his brother tells him as he continues to cry.

"What!? Where is she!?" he shouts.

"They said that her heart was too weak… she… didn't make it Blake." his sister tells him as she falls to the ground.

"No… this can't be true… No!" Blake screams as he runs into the house.

"Blake!" his brother and sister call after him as he runs inside. As he enters the house he can see a paramedic with a red coat covering his mother's face with a blue blanket on the couch.

"Mom! Mom!!" screams Blake as he runs up to her body.

_**Most kids have a great first year of school when they become a Freshman. They normally meet good friends, make challenges for themselves in life and sometimes meet those challenges head on. My first year has become my own hell… something that I can't escape… even if I tried.**_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Scene 1 End**


	8. ZNC3 Scene 2: Change In Scenery

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 3: Path Of The Hero**

**Scene 2: Change In Scenery**

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**_**The two weeks after my mom died was a complete hell. My brother and sister moved out to some relatives across state, but I stayed home. I just can't leave the house, regardless of what happened… I miss her… she did nothing wrong… she was in so much pain… why didn't I stay that Saturday morning? I could have talked with her one last time, now I'll never get that chance again… I dropped out of school for those two weeks as well, hoping to stay away from any of the blockheads there. I just don't want to deal with anyone right now… **_

Blake walks around his house looking for something to do. His PET is still in his room on the desk with the power turned off. Blake walks up and down the stairs several times, each time cleaning the rail with a brown rag. At the bottom of the steps he looks towards the kitchen where he can remember his mother standing at the sink, carefully cleaning the dishes. He jumps as a sudden knock on the front door startles him. He opens the door to see Victor standing there with his arms crossed.

"Hello Blake, how are you doing?" asks Victor as he steps inside the house.

"About as good as anyone would do in my shoes." replies Blake while shutting the door.

"You haven't been to school in quite a while… I'm starting to get worried since my visit last week." returns Victor as he sits down on the third step from the floor.

"I'm trying to avoid fights." replies Blake as he leans against the wall next to the stairs.

"You have been here for a week by yourself Blake. Your brother and sister have already moved out… don't you think it is time for you to do the same thing?" questions Victor while leaning forward, taking notice that he does not have his PET at the moment.

"I know that I have to leave… I don't have many choices." Blake replies as he looks around the house.

_**Let me explain my family to you, in the most common way that would make sense… they are crazy people. On my father's side of the family is nothing but scientists. His sister, a scientist who works under the sea and collects sea life poop for a living. His two brothers study dead bodies for a living… get it? Sorry bad pun… My grandparents have been around the world twice, both times looking for the long lost city of Atlantis… yeah, you heard me. The rest of the family is in some way or another in science. On my mom's side… well… I'll just say that they think science is the most evil thing in the world. I have no idea on how I got to be family with scientists and a bunch of hicks, but it happened. My brother and sister found the one relative that didn't care about both sides and lived on her own… lucky them.**_

"After the whole Maverick Virus thing, my family does not care that much about me." explains Blake as Victor leans back.

"You can always come stay with me for a period of time." Victor tells him as Blake gives him a strange look.

"Thanks for the offer, but living with my teacher would make school even worse for me." Blake chuckles a bit as Victor shares the moment with him.

"I'm impressed, the house is extremely clean." points out his teacher while sniffing the air. "It has that lemon smell." he adds.

"There is no point in staying in my room, wishing for the past to change. It would be pointless…" Blake says as he looks to his teacher.

"So true… the past will remain the same no matter how hard we try to change it." Victor says as he hangs his head.

"We?" asks Blake before Victor stands to his feet.

"Nothing at all Blake. You take care of yourself for me." Victor tells him before walking towards the front door.

"Thank you for stopping by Victor." Blake says as Victor opens the door.

"Don't mention it, you just do something about getting back to school young man." he replies before walking out, shutting the door behind him.

_**He was right… the past was going to remain the same no matter what I did. I haven't left the house since she died… maybe it was time to get out.**_

Blake runs upstairs and grabs his PET, powering it up first by touching the touch screen. The screen lights up as Zero's image materializes soon after. Blake turns everything off before walking out of the house, locking it behind him. The sky was cloudy, showing signs of rain as lightning shoots across the clouds. Blake scoffs at the sight before walking down his street. As he walks along a couple of cop cars speed past him before the sirens begin to sound off. The cars quickly turn around before stopping in front of Blake.

"Are you Blake Maverick?" one asks as he gets out of the driver side.

"Yes." he replies, already getting a sick feeling in his stomach.

"Come with us young man, we have some questions for you." returns the officer as he walks towards Blake with his gun pointed towards him.

"Whoa! I'll go peacefully! Don't point that thing at me!" Blake shouts at him before the officer turns him around and cuffs his hands. He then walks Blake over to the back of the car before pushing him in.

"Hey!!" shouts Blake as the door is slammed shut on him.

_**You got me. I have no idea what these guys want from me. They took me all the way down to their station and placed me inside of a cell with the most pleasant of people. I was sitting there for hours with Odorzilla and Momma's Boy before they finally took me away from them. Seriously, that Momma's Boy had a face that only his mother would love… then again… his momma most likely slapped him for it. I was put in the typical room with no windows, a single table and chair with a light above them. With a guard at the door I felt so very secure.**_

"I have orders to shoot you if you try to escape." the officer tells him as Blake gets a stressed look to his face.

_**Yeah… so very secure. Finally someone opens the only door to the room who looked like he was straight out of one of those corny police or detective shows… Kind of like Hawaii Five O. He was wearing the typical brown trench coat with the grey suit under that. He is basically bald but has a small comb over.**_

"I guess you're wondering why you're here?" asks the man as he sits down.

_**He's as brilliant as he is fashion sensible.**_

"Why is it?" asks Blake.

"In the past week, we have been getting attacked by extremely strong viruses… we have tracked the origin to your house." the man tells him as Blake stands to his feet.

"What!?" he shouts as the officer at the door instantly takes aim with his pistol.

"Sit down, you don't need to shout." the detective tells him as Blake sits.

"I haven't even been on my computer in the past week! It stopped working a week ago!" Blake tells him as the detective looks at his officer.

_**Now that I think about it, it stopped working right after Victor paid a visit to me.**_

"It doesn't matter, we have proof showing us that the viruses came from your house, and your computer Blake. So for now we're going to have to lock you up, and see what happens from there." the man tells him as he stands to his feet, handing the officer behind him the hand cuffs for Blake.

"I didn't do anything!" shouts Blake as he is cuffed from behind.

They walk him out of the building before putting him in the back of the same car. As they begin to drive Blake takes notice to a rocket heading right for them. He covers his head as the front part of the car is hit by the rocket. The car leaps into the air while flipping over at the same time. Blake hit's the roof of the car as a hand is extended to him from the outside. Blake takes the hand without knowing if this was a friend or foe. As soon as he stands to his feet he can see that he grabbed Jacob's hand, who at the moment is holding a machine gun.

"Jacob!?" asks a shocked Blake as his cuffs are cut through suddenly.

"No questions, just follow me!" Jacob tells him. "Down!" he yells at Blake before throwing him to the ground. He jumps to the ground as well before firing off a three round burst with his machine gun. An officer falls to the ground holding his shoulder as Jacob and Blake stand to their feet.

"What is going on!?" shouts Blake as Jacob grabs him by his arm and pulls him along with him.

"Trust me, I am saving your life!" replies Jacob as he takes notice to a few officers running after them. "Commander!" he suddenly shouts as a large wrecking ball suddenly slams into the group of officers.

_**Okay… what? At first I thought this guy was the typical trouble maker in school. Next thing I know he becomes James Bond with an attitude and we're running from the law. That's great… what else can go wrong?**_

"Incoming helicopter!" Jacob suddenly shouts.

_**No.**_

Jacob's PET gives off a red beam of light towards the helicopter as they begin to fire at them with their guns, Jacob pulls Blake to the side as the barrage of bullets fly past them. Blake is nearly freaking out at this point as Jacob fires his gun back at the helicopter. Inside of the helicopter the men are preparing to fire the rockets as Commander's image appears on their screens.

"Get out." he tells them before the entire system begins to crash.

As the helicopter begins to fly around in circles Commander transfers back into Jacob's PET as they run away from the police station. Soon after the helicopter crashes into it as everyone leaves the building and the helicopter in a hurry. Inside of the helicopter a timer is counting down before it explodes, completely destroying the building.

"Just what is going on here!?" Blake shouts to Jacob as he walks down an alley with him.

"Isn't it obvious? I just helped you escape from Enigma." Jacob replies as Blake gives him a strange look.

"What are you talking about? That was the police!" Blake argues as Jacob looks around.

"Paid by Enigma to kill you. There is a lot that you don't know right now." Jacob continues as he begins to search the walls of the alley.

"What now? Do you have a secret room or something?" Blake mocks as Jacob presses down on one of the bricks. The wall instantly slides out and reveals a hidden stairway.

"Something like that." replies Jacob while Blake has his mouth open.

"Just who are you?" Blake asks as Jacob shakes his head.

"You ask too many questions. Get inside and I will tell you everything that I know." he tells Blake.

_**So I followed him down the creepy stairs. It turns out this is where he lives… under a building… I hate finding trouble.**_

"I belong to the Official Net Battlers, and a high ranking member at that. I have been giving the task of retrieving information on Enigma." Jacob tells him as he sits down on a couch.

_**When I look around, I see your every day normal living room. Then I look at the other half of the place, which reminds me of the Bat Cave. Seriously… this guy is strange.**_

"Official Net Battlers? You mean the group that fights off viruses and evil dictators and all that?" asks Blake.

"You got it." replies Jacob.

"Then why am I here?" questions Blake as Jacob leans forward.

"You seem to be in the middle of Enigma at the moment. No, I am not saying you are a part of them… the leader of Enigma has taken interest in you. I want to find out why…" Jacob explains as Blake frowns.

"I'm in the middle? Right… it's always me." Blake chuckles a bit.

"It's no laughing matter. Enigma wants you dead, today should prove that to you. They planted those viruses in your computer and they wanted you to be legally caught so they could have their way with you. You're in a sticky situation…" Jacob says as he leans back as Blake stares at him for a few moments.

"You… are the Net Operator of the white Navi?" asks Blake before Jacob laughs a bit.

"Yes I am. His name is Commander, and I can assure you that he has saved you more than once." Jacob tells him. Blake looks at his PET to see that now he has an emblem under his touch screen. Three triangles with a star in the middle. There is a circle around the star as well.

"So what now? Am I suppose to just sit here the entire time?" asks Blake while Jacob stands to his feet.

"No, you are going to go back to school with me, starting tomorrow." Jacob says while walking into his kitchen.

"School? I'll be a sitting duck in classes!" Blake shouts to him.

"We need to draw them out of their hiding places. Besides, from today on I want you to work along side me." Jacob tells him before handing him a small blue box.

"You mean as an Official?" questions Blake.

"Correct. You will work under me, but I really don't care to give out too many orders… so just do as you please." says Jacob as he walks into the room again with two glasses of water.

"What if I don't want to become one?" asks Blake before Jacob laughs at him.

"You already have Enigma on your case… don't make the Official's your enemy too. Besides, if Enigma tries to mess with you, the Official's with have your back from now on. Think of it as an insurance policy, only without the annoying little lizard following you around." Jacob tells him as he hands Blake the glass of water.

Victor walks through the hallways of the science lab, quickly walking up to the janitor closet. He walks down the set of stairs before walking up to the door to verify his identification. As soon as he enters the hidden room one of his men walks over to him and hands him a clipboard full of information.

"How goes the project?" asks Victor as he passes by a screen that shows an image of Axis in a tube.

"The viruses inside of the Navi has proven to be extremely difficult to get past. So far all of our attempts at getting a sample have failed." the man replies as he fixes his glasses with his left hand.

"What about using the Anti Virus program I created? Did that fail too?" asks Victor while looking at a screen with a blue blurred out image.

"The Anti Virus program did harm the viruses at first, but in the end it was just absorbed." the man continues to explain.

"I see." Victor replies as he crosses his arms, eagerly looking at the screen with the blue image.

"So very soon, I expect the police to discover this place… I am not about to fall by their pathetic hands… but maybe I can have someone else take the blame for Enigma…" Victor thinks to himself as he looks to his assistant.

"Is there something wrong sir?" the man asks as Victor smiles at him.

"Not at all. Would you care to join me for a drink?" asks Victor before his assistant nods his head.

"It's time to test my latest take on the Maverick Virus." Victor continues his thoughts as he and his assistant walk up to the corner of the room. Suddenly the corner opens up and reveals a hallway that leads to a large office room. The two sit down as Victor pours them a drink from a wine bottle. Victor then tears open a bag full of red powder and pours it into his assistants glass. He then tears another bag open and pours it into his own glass.

"What is that?" his assistant asks with a curious look.

"Flavor." replies Victor as the two of them drink from their glasses.

Blake walks around the room while looking at his PET. Zero continues to look back at him as Jacob watches him walk back and forth. Jacob shakes his head as he turns to his flat screen television behind him, showing a woman with a small screen showing a science lab. He turns the volume up as Blake stops to listen.

"We bring you live footage of what appears to be the headquarters of Enigma. A scientist by the name of Victor Sigma discovered today that his science labs have been used for the crimes against the world. This is what he had to say." the woman says as Victor's image appears on the screen.

"I have to say that I was shocked when I found out my labs were being used as a headquarters for Enigma. My closest assistant whom I trusted very much was behind all of it." Victor speaks as the woman appears again.

On the screen it shows a swat team bursting in the science labs, also throwing flash bangs in at the same time on the other side. Minutes later the video feed cuts to the swat teams infiltrating the hidden lab under the lab. They blow open the door with explosives as they begin to search the area. The entire room is completely empty, with only a man sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. The entire swat team moves in as the man in the chair with glasses on begins to twitch and look back and forth. The video feed zooms in on the mans face before looking around the room again.

"What's wrong with him?" one of the swat team members asks as the video feed zooms out and looks at the man again. It shows that his skin is starting to boil and peel off. Suddenly his entire body bursts as if an explosive was on the inside.

"Oh my God…" Jacob whispers as the swat team falls to the floor twitching. Soon after they do the same thing as the man in the chair. The video feed cuts off as the woman on the news begins to hurl. Jacob turns the television off before looking to Blake.

"Enigma… they created a new form of the virus!" Blake says as he punches the wall.

"Not bad… although the lifetime of the virus is very limited, it can infect others by contact… this one is a keeper. Too bad it takes too much time and resources to create it. So what will you do Blake? What is your next move I wonder…" Victor thinks to himself as he watches the replays of the news.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Scene 2 End**


	9. ZNC3 Scene 3: Destiny

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 3: Path Of The Hero**

**Scene 3: Destiny**

* * *

_**So here I am, sitting inside of Jacob's lair of justice thinking to myself… what did I do? If anyone out there has the answer… please let me know what I did to tick off the universe! This guy has so many weapons and strange devices here that I don't even want to go to the bathroom! He may have it rigged to explode if I flush it wrong! He wants to take me to his leader… leader of the Official Net Battlers that is. If what he says is true, then I really don't have much of a choice do I? Protection sounds pretty freaking good to me right now, but I get the feeling that the protector is going to need protection sooner or later…**_

"Blake, let's get going." Jacob says as he opens the door to the stairs.

"Go where? We've already missed school." states Blake as he slowly stands to his feet from the couch.

"My superiors want to meet you today, that's why we never went to school." he explains while Blake gets a stressed look to his face.

"Fine… lead on." Blake speaks while shaking his head.

_**Mom… Dad… watch over me until the day I join you…**_

"Our ride is waiting for us above ground. It's good to not keep him waiting…" Jacob tells him as they climb the stairs.

"Why is that?" questions Blake as his friend is completely silent for a moment.

"You'll see." he suddenly speaks up as Blake begins to wonder to himself. As Jacob slides the wall out of place by pulling down on a lever Blake can hear a loud engine running. Jacob takes a ladder beside them as Blake follows. After a few minutes of climbing they reach the roof where a harrier jet is waiting for them.

_**Are you freaking serious?**_

"A jet…? You mean we are going to your superiors in a jet?" asks Blake as he frowns.

"Yeah… why?" Jacob asks as if this was completely normal to him.

"N-Nevermind…" Blake stutters before his friend tosses him a mask with a tube attached to it.

"Let's go boys!" the pilot suddenly shouts as the engines power up even further.

The cockpit slides open as Jacob climbs in first, followed by Blake who is regretting this more and more by the moment. He takes a look at the pilot who is wearing the usual outfit that a pilot is suppose to wear. He takes his seat behind Jacob in the third seat, which is not common for a jet. As soon as he straps in and puts his mask on the pilot begins to chuckles to himself.

"Why is he chuckling?" Blake quickly asks.

_**I'm going to die. Screw you Jacob.**_

"He just likes taking newcomers on their first trip." Jacob replies as the jet shoots into the sky at incredible speeds.

"How you boys holding up back there?" the pilot asks as he does a few barrel rolls.

"I'm fine!" Jacob replies.

"I can't feel my face!" Blake screams as the pilot begins to flip the jet over.

_**Without a doubt, I have met the most evil person in the world.**_

"Alright that's enough tricks! Let's get you boys to the HQ!" the pilot shouts to them as the jet picks up speed again.

"Just take it easy Blake, we'll be there soon enough!" Jacob

"I hate you so much right now!!" shouts Blake as Jacob begins to laugh to himself.

_**As much as I hated this trip, I got the feeling that I would be traveling this way many more times. As we landed on a island that looked like it was the size of a city… my normal life was thrown out the window. The place looked like Jurassic Park but without the dinosaurs stomping around.**_

"Thanks for the lift!" Jacob shouts to the pilot as he takes off.

"I can't… feel my legs…" Blake says as he crawls away from Jacob.

"Our next ride should be here really soon." Jacob tells him as Blake stands to his feet and gives him an angry look.

"I swear… if it is a stupid rocket I quit right now!" Blake shouts at him as a black Lamborghini drives up to them. "Yeah, that works for me." adds Blake.

_**This is one sweet ride. The driver is a woman wearing all black with white gloves on. Her blonde hair is in a pony tail at the moment. I'm hoping it's just to go along with the color of the car. As soon as I strap in the driver peels off towards the edge of the island. Suddenly she spins the car around as we head back towards a cliff with no exit. Part of the wall slides open as we speed down a long tunnel… heart attack anyone? This metallic looking tunnel is extremely long for us to drive for five minutes straight with a car going over a hundred. I can hear the car slowing down as we reach an extremely large metal door with huge locks on it. Suddenly it begins to open as the driver and Jacob step out of the car. I do the same thing before the car is lowered to a garage underneath. I'm led through the metal door before taking notice that I'm not in Kansas anymore… I think I just walked on the set of Men in Black or something… no aliens… but sheesh… there are so many devices and weapons it's not funny.**_

"Blake, come this way with me." Jacob speaks up as Blake continues to marvel at everything there.

He then follows his friend through the complex, making sure not to touch anything. He looks around to see tons and tons of computers. Everyone is hard at work doing something as the two of them walk through. As they walk to the back everyone turns around to glance at Blake before going back to work. The back of the complex is guarded by four turrets and six men wearing heavy gear. Jacob walks past them with ease as Blake follows closely behind him as the sweat pours off of him. The somewhat large metal door slides open as they walk inside. The door slams shut as Blake jumps out of the way. The room looks like an office, just a normal office. At the end of the room sits a man in a brown leather chair with his elbows on the desk and his fingers crossed.

"Come here." the man speaks as the two of them walk towards him.

As they walk closer Blake can see that this man is his grandfather's age. He has white hair on the sides of his head but completely bald otherwise. He has a white goatee and a black suit on. On his desk is a picture of him and a younger looking man who is wearing a blue jean jacket with worn out looking pants. The two of them are smiling in the picture as Blake looks to the not so happy expression of the old man.

"Sir, I've brought him here as you requested." Jacob says as he begins to walk away.

"Where are you going!?" panics Blake as he grabs Jacob's right arm.

"Calm down, I'm just going to take a seat." he replies before walking to the other side of the room.

"Blake." the elderly man calls to him as he slowly turns to him.

"Y-Yes sir…?" asks Blake as the man stands to his feet.

"My name is Stanley Charles the Second, but you will address me as sir." the old man greets as Blake can feel his heart jumping out of his chest.

"Y-Yes sir." he replies as the man smiles while extending his hand to him at the same time. Blake shakes his hand with a firm grip as the old man smiles even more.

"Calm down Blake, you're an ally here. You were brought here for a few good reasons, but most of them I'm not even going to tell you about. The main reason is the fact that there is a target on your head, and the one looking down the sights of the gun is Enigma." Stanley explains as Blake continues to stand still.

"Yes sir." he replies as the old man manages another smile.

"Now, we have no idea as to why Enigma wants you so badly. Maybe they just want to finish off the Maverick blood line?" he asks as Blake shakes his head.

"I'm not so sure about that sir." Blake speaks as the man crosses his arms.

"Why would that be?" the man asks as he walks around to the front of the desk and sits down in front of Blake.

"If they wanted to take out the family, then my brother and sister would be targeted as well. I guess I'm the only one on their list." he replies as the man nods his head in agreement.

"That is true. Tell me young man, do you have a Net Navi?" he asks as Blake takes off his PET and hands it to the man.

"His name is Zero sir." Blake tells him as the man raises his left eye brow.

"Zero…? Now I see why Enigma is after this young boy… but this Navi does not look anything like the Zero I am thinking about…" the old man thinks to himself as he hands the PET back to Blake.

"Jacob mentioned to me that you were willing to protect me?" asks Blake.

"You are somewhat correct. I am offering you a position here at the Official Net Battlers for one reason… to keep Enigma off your back. You see, nobody wants to screw with us. As long as you are known to be one of us, they will most likely back off for some time." the man tells him as Blake takes a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure… you can trust me? After all of the things said about my father and my family?" questions Blake.

"Please… don't insult my judge of character. I knew your father, he was a friend of mine as well. I'd never believe such a thing like that." the man replies as Blake begins to tremble.

"To think… they blamed it all on him… and named that horrible virus after him…" Blake continues before the man puts his hands on Blake's shoulders.

"I trust the Maverick name, so if you will believe in me I will do the same for you." the old man tells him as Blake closes his eyes.

"Thank you." he replies as a single tear rolls down his left cheek.

"I have one more thing for you to hear before you leave." Stanley says as he walks back to his seat.

"What is it?" asks Blake while wiping the tear away.

"Your science teacher… Victor Sigma… do no trust that man." Stanley tells him as he sits down again.

"What? Victor has been there for me when I needed him the most! Why shouldn't I trust him!?" Blake nearly shouts at the man.

"That man is a mystery… he has no record at all. Everything on his file is a lie… I do not like liars. If anything goes wrong after he talks or visits you… it was most likely his doing." the old man speaks.

"I… I will be sure to watch out for him, sir." Blake replies as he turns around to walk away.

"One more thing." Stanley speaks as Blake turns around again.

"Yes?" asks Blake.

"Follow Jacob to the dimensional stage. There you will learn how to use something called Cross Fusion." Stanley tells him as Blake gets a curious look to his face.

_**Cross Fusion…?**_

"Come on Blake." Jacob calls to him as they leave the room. Stanley leans back in his chair before letting out a large sigh of relief.

"Well… I did what you wanted me to do Jason… your son… he has a hard road ahead of him. I will guide him as far as I can." Stanley speaks as if he was talking to someone in the room.

_**Jacob leads me to this extremely colorful arena looking area. If a hippie ever had his hand in some sort of technology work… this was it. This arena was about as big as my school, just a bit more colorful. I mean my God the colors! Anyways, in the middle of the arena is a group of scientists actually wearing normal looking clothes. Two women and a man who are hard at work on something. Jacob introduces me to them before walking over to one of the three tables there. The man of the group is wearing blue jean pants with a black shirt on. He is bald with brown eyes. The two women appear to be twins, with long red hair and both wearing the same white shirt and pants. But all three of them are wearing brown boots.**_

"Hello Blake, I am scientist One." the man introduces as Blake gets another stressed look.

_**Scientist One huh?**_

"We're scientists A and B!" the twins says with excitement at the same time.

_**I want my normal life back… along with my stomach after the jet ride.**_

"What is this Cross Fusion thing Mr. Charles spoke of?" asks Blake before Jacob walks up next to him.

"Cross Fusion is when you and your Net Navi merge to become one." he explains as Blake raises his right eye brow.

"I'll show you." Jacob adds as he chuckles a bit.

"We're all set when you are Jacob." the man says to him as they begin to type away on their computers.

Jacob stands out in the distance before holding his PET out in front of him. Blake watches with interest as his friend inserts an actual battle chip into the side of his PET. As a flash of light blinds Blake he turns his head to see the scientists wearing black sunglasses with smiles on their faces. The light finally dies down before Blake looks back towards Jacob, who at the moment looks a lot like Commander. He looks the same except for his hair color and eyes.

"This is Cross Fusion, every Net Battler of the Official Net Battlers can do this." Jacob tells him as Blake has a blank stare on his face.

"Here comes the first round!" the twins shout out before typing on their keyboards.

Suddenly four viruses begin to materialize all around Jacob who at the moment is standing still. All of the viruses are red dragons with no legs. They only have arms a head and wings, a snake dragon. Jacob leaps into the air before two gun blades form around his wrists. In mid air he takes aim and begins to open fire on the first dragon. It flies towards him at top speed before Blake can see Jacob slash through the dragons body with his two gun blades. As he lands the remaining three dragons charge at once, all of them beginning to shoot fire from their mouths.

"Heavy Armory Chip!" Jacob suddenly shouts as his gun blades disappear, being replaced with an extremely large cannon that materializes on him.

_**I want one.**_

The cannon is a dark blue color with lighter blue going through the circuits. The grip for the weapon fits around Jacob's right wrist as the second grip is held by the left hand. The cannon is easily the same size as Jacob who at the moment is charging the weapon. A blue light can be seen as a humming noise is heard. At the same moment the dragons get close to him he unleashes the cannons might, completely destroying the viruses in the path. The cannon disappears as Jacob turns to Blake, who at the moment has his mouth wide open.

"That is Cross Fusion." Jacob tells him as Blake shakes his head back and forth.

"We will need your PET Blake, that way we can install the correct programming for the Cross Fusion." scientist One tells him as Blake hands him the PET without asking any questions.

_**Yeah… okay.**_

"We'll take you back to the city if you want now. I'll stay with you since you don't have Zero at the moment." Jacob tells him as they leave the arena.

_**People say that the second time you do something, it's not nearly as bad as the first. Liars. All of them. I hate jets now more than anything. I couldn't even move after getting off of the jet. I went back to Jacob's place after that, hoping to rest after this interesting day. But no… I wanted to find out something first. I want to know who my friends are… or my enemies.**_

Blake waits until Jacob is sleeping in the night, hoping to sneak out of the place. As soon as he opens the door to the stairs Jacob's eyes open. He watches Blake closely before the door closes behind him.

"Just be careful Blake." Jacob thinks to himself as he rolls over on his bed.

Blake pulls on the lever to exit the secret entrance, only to see that it is foggy out at the moment. He shrugs his shoulders before continuing. He knew of only one place that he could find who he was looking for. The school was his goal. As time passes by Blake finally arrives at the school, nearly two hours later. He takes a deep breath before walking up to the front doors, realizing it is still unlocked. As he takes another breath of air he opens the door on the right side as the hallways of the school are silent.

"What do we have here?" Victor asks himself as he looks at the schools security system.

Blake walks down the hallways slowly as he knows that Victor is here, since his lab is covered in the Maverick Virus. He makes his way to the science room before spotting Victor sitting at his desk with two computer monitors in front of him. Next to those monitors is a soda pop that has not been opened yet. Victor turns around in his seat before making a shocked expression on his face.

"Blake? What on Earth are you doing here so late?" asks Victor while standing to his feet.

"Sorry for interrupting Mr. Sigma, I just wanted to ask you some questions." Blake starts off as he realizes that was not the best way to start.

"Oh…? Like what?" asks Victor while smirking.

"Today I was told that… well… not to trust you. Your records are fake…" Blake explains before Victor leans back in his seat.

"Is that so? What do you believe?" asks Victor as he looks towards his monitor.

"I'm not sure. I was also told that if something went wrong after talking to you, or getting a visit from you… that it would be your fault…" Blake continues as he looks around the classroom.

"I see. Well Blake, they say that actions speak louder than words. Have I done anything to make you believe them?" questions Victor as Blake shakes his head.

"No, you haven't." Blake replies while hanging his head.

"Maybe… you haven't asked the correct questions." Victor says as Blake gives him a strange look. "Go on, give it a try." he adds before Blake looks at him.

"Are you involved with Enigma?" Blake asks as Victor chuckles.

"Straight to the point I see. Yes, I am involved with Enigma." Victor replies as shock hits Blake like a ton of bricks.

"W-What!?" he asks as Victor crosses his arms.

"Continue." he speaks as Blake clenches his fists.

"Were you the one that planted those viruses in my computer?" asks Blake.

"Yes." replies Victor with an extremely calm tone.

"Why!?" shouts Blake.

"So the police would catch you." replies Victor.

"I could have died yesterday!" Blake shouts at him as he takes a step closer.

"That was the point my boy." Victor tells him as Blake takes two steps back.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this…!" Blake mutters as Victor chuckles again.

"Please, continue." he says again while smirking.

"Are you… are you the one that killed my father!?" shouts Blake as Victor gets a large smile on his face.

"Yes!" he replies as Blake staggers back towards the wall.

"I can't… no! Why!? Why did you do this to my family!?" Blake asks him while clenching his fists even harder.

"Your father found out some information about me that I didn't want to be spread. So I silenced him with a virus I recently created. You know it as the…" "Shut up!" Blake interrupts as Victor gets an angry look to his face.

"Don't you dare call it that! How could you…!? We trusted you! Do you know that my mother suffered because of you!?" Blake shouts at him as he takes another step forward.

"I did not plan on your mother dying… but it was a bonus!" Victor laughs before Blake grabs him by his shirt.

"Stop laughing! You've torn apart my family! You've torn us apart! Why did you do it!? What have I done to you to deserve this!?" Blake screams at him before Victor grabs his arms and throws him across the room. Blake slams into the back chalk board before hitting the ground.

"I'll tell you why! About a month ago you obtained something very valuable to me! I believe he is called Zero correct?" asks Victor as Blake stagger to his feet.

"What does he have to do with this!? It's not like I asked for him to be my Net Navi! He just showed up one night before I went to sleep!" Blake shouts at him before Victor crosses his arms.

"Is that what happened? That explains the blue image that returned to me…" Victor speaks as Blake shakes his head.

"Sigma! Are you the leader of Enigma!?" Blake shouts as he walks towards Victor.

"Ah… the final question finally comes out. I am the leader of Enigma!" he replies as Blake instantly charges for him.

He punches Victor in the face before hitting him in his stomach. Victor staggers back a bit before back handing Blake on the right cheek. Blake flies back again realizing that Victor is stronger than he looks. Blake runs towards him again, this time pulling his right arm back as if he was getting ready to punch. Right as Victor goes to block the punch, Blake spins around to kick Victor's side. His teacher staggers back a bit before lunging at Blake, putting his arms around Blake in a bear hug.

"Do you know what the best part about all of this is?" asks Victor as he smiles in Blake's face.

"W-What!?" Blake struggles to reply as he feels like his body is being crushed in two.

"I get to kill you the same way I killed your father! The Maverick Virus!" Victor replies as Blake snaps his head at him.

"I told you… don't call it that!" Blake shouts to him before head butting him. Victor staggers backwards as Blake falls to his knees, gasping for air. Victor walks up to him before kicking him in the side. Blake flies back in to a group of desks before coughing up some blood.

"That's a detention notice Blake!" Victor laughs before picking him up. Suddenly the lights to the room turn on as Jacob stands there with a machine gun in his arms.

"That's far enough Victor! Leader of Enigma!" he shouts to him before looking at Blake. "Good work Blake." he adds as Blake gives a thumbs up.

_**I try.**_

"Well well… I thought you were a part of the Officials Jacob. I just was not sure… what would your father say about this?" asks Victor with a smirk on his face.

"Don't even mention him to me!" Jacob shouts in reply before firing at Victor.

"Since the odds are not in my favor I will take my leave!" Victor shouts before running towards one of the windows.

"Sig… Sigma!" shouts Blake as he stands to his feet.

"Blake! Tonight you have survived an encounter with the leader of Enigma… you will not be so lucky the next time! This is our fate, our destiny to fight each other!" shouts Victor as something suddenly breaks through the wall of the classroom. A large hand moves in as Victor jumps in the palm.

"A robot!?" shouts Jacob as he opens fire can only see Victor smiling as he leaves the classroom behind.

"Commander?" Jacob calls to his Navi as the hologram image appears on his left shoulder.

"Yes?" Commander asks as he looks towards him.

"Did you get the footage?" asks Jacob as he reloads his weapon.

"I did. We now have proof that Victor Sigma is in fact the leader of Enigma." Commander replies as his image disappears.

"We also have proof that Blake's father is innocent…" Jacob thinks to himself as he turns towards Blake who is knocked out at the moment.

_**All this time… Victor was behind it all. I trusted him… my family trusted him… my father trusted him! Why did it have to be this way? Why…? I've never felt so horrible… he killed my father. My mother grieved herself to death! All because of him and Enigma! I've never wanted to kill anyone a day in my life. Until now… I'll kill you Victor… Sigma!**_

* * *

**End of Chapter 3**

**

* * *

Author's Note: First of all, things will start to pick up after this chapter. Second, I'm very grateful to the readers of this story. It is actually the most I have gotten in this short time of starting a story. You guys are awesome! I have actually had several messages from many users stating that my approach on telling the story in present tense is strange and unusual... thanks! Truth be told I like to be one of the strange people who do things differently! I have many great things in store for this story and who knows, you may see some old faces but don't be too shocked when you see how I use them! Again, you guys/gals are awesome!  
**


	10. ZNC4 Scene 1: First Mission

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 4: Sharpening The Sword**

**Scene 1: First Mission**

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_**My world seemed to fall apart day by day… I find myself lying on a bed at the Official Net Battlers HQ. I can hear and see people walking by but… they're walking so slow. I can see their after images slowly catching up to them. Victor… no, Sigma was behind it all. At the moment I truly wish to die… but does that make me a coward? If it does then go ahead and color me yellow… I don't care anymore. If I die then I die right? Nobody will miss me now… but then there is Faith… no, I can't die just yet! I have to correct this mistake before I pass away! I make it an oath to fulfill a promise no matter who made it… I promised to kill the one who did this to my family one day… but is hate and anger something that I should really be harboring at this moment…?**_

"Blake." a voice calls to him suddenly as he lifts his head to see Jacob looking at him.

"What is it?" asks Blake while sitting up, holding his head at the same time.

"Mr. Charles has a mission for you, let's go talk with him." replies Jacob as he crosses his arms.

_**A mission huh? I wonder what kind of crap they will send me on…**_

"You are to guard an extremely valuable vault of data located in the computer of a man named Simon Herring. Ever since the Sigma Virus was first aired on the television a month ago, this man has been hard at work with attempting to come up with an anti virus." Stanley tells Blake as his mouth is open just a bit.

"Sigma Virus… sir?" asks Jacob as he looks at Blake.

"That's right. After the video from a week ago aired on television, the police and many others have started to call this virus the Sigma Virus. The Maverick name is no longer tainted…" the old man replies as Blake lets out a sigh of relief.

"So all Zero and I need to do is guard that vault of data?" questions Blake.

"It's not going to be that easy." the elderly man replies as Blake rolls his eyes.

_**Of course not.**_

"What else?" asks Blake as Jacob puts his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Lately Simon has been under attack from Enigma. A powerful virus Navi by the name of Kaiser has been slowly chipping away at Simon's advanced firewall. If that firewall were to fall… Kaiser would have access to the vault of data." Stanley replies as Jacob closes his eyes.

"Kaiser… that name sounds familiar…" thinks Jacob as he opens his eyes again.

"Don't get me wrong Blake, but you're not going in alone. Jacob will be going with you." Stanley says as he looks towards Jacob.

"Sir!" he replies as Blake takes a step forward.

"Sir, what about my PET? It has been a week and they still have Zero." states Blake as the old man leans forward.

"About that… they encountered a problem while analyzing Zero's programming. It appears that there was a massive amount of viruses stored up inside of him." Stanley replies.

"What do you mean?" asks Jacob while crossing his arms now.

"As soon as they began scanning Zero… the viruses inside of him instantly deleted the anti virus software in the computers. They had to place Zero in a stand by mode so they could erase all of the current viruses." explains the old man as Blake becomes worried.

"What about Zero? He is okay?" asks Blake while taking a step forward.

"He's fine, but since the amount of viruses coming from him was so great, they placed an anti virus program inside of him. You may go pick him up now, but after that you must go straight to the home of Simon." Stanley tells him as he turns his chair around.

_**Anti virus program huh? As long as Zero is fine… why am I so worried about a piece of hardware?**_

"Here you go Blake, Zero is all fixed up for you." Scientist One tells him while handing him his PET.

"Sorry if he gave you any trouble…" Blake says as he looks towards the twins, who are glaring at him at the moment.

"Don't mind them… they had about a dozen virus pets growing inside of the system…" he tells Blake as the two of them get a stressed look on their faces. Blake almost instantly straps on his PET before turning the power on.

"Zero? How are you feeling?" asks Blake as Zero's image slowly materializes on the screen.

"A bit strange… but otherwise just fine." replies Zero as Blake takes notices to a few blue lines going across Zero's chest.

"What are those blue lines?" asks Blake.

"The lines is the anti virus program installed into him. Don't worry about the lines, they mean nothing but color." Scientist One replies as Blake walks out of the dimensional stage as the twins continue to glare at him.

"You ready to leave?" asks Jacob while walking up to Blake.

"Yeah… do we have to use the jet?" asks Blake as Jacob gets a stressed face.

_**An hour later we arrive at the Simon guys house… more like mansion. This guy lives on his own island! There are no trees at all, only a clear view of the water from every angle! He has his own runway, health club and even a freaking outdoors bowling alley! The house is not really that big, but I mean come on… his own island. As we walk up to the front door Simon himself is standing there with his arms crossed waiting for us. He has long blonde hair that reaches his shoulders and blue eyes. Although he seems to be rich he is wearing the typical lab coat. I guess these guys must get their outfits at the same place…**_

"Greetings to the two Official Net Battlers! I am Simon Herring and this is my home! I hope your flight here was a pleasant one?" asks the man.

_**Screw you pal… you had to remind me.**_

"My name is Jacob Wright and this is Blake Maverick." Jacob introduces the two of them as Simon walks up closer to Blake.

"So you are Blake Maverick? It's an honor to meet you young man. Your father and I shared many goals when we were younger." Simon tells him as Blake raises his left eye brow.

"I guess everyone knew my father back then." he replies as Simon laughs.

"I guess that is enough of this chit chat… come, let me show you why you are here." the man speaks as he leads them inside. While walking through the house Jacob takes notice to the amount of security cameras along the walls.

"You have a lot of cameras here." states Jacob.

"I have to be careful, my enemies can be anywhere these days. Even on the net as you will soon find out." Simon says as he leads them inside of a room that looks like the control room to a commander center.

"Whoa…" Blake mutters as his host begins to smile.

"From here you will be able to plug in directly inside of the firewall. This is the only way inside the vault." Simon tells them as they look at the area closely.

"We'll do our best sir." Jacob tells him as he looks towards him.

"I know you will, I'm counting on it." Simon says before walking out of the room.

_**This isn't so bad. I mean the guy left us a whole refrigerator full of food! Anyone that leaves me food is alright in my book.**_

"I'm so bored…" Blake speaks up after hours of watching the vault. "Zero… anything new?" asks Blake as he looks at his PET. This cyber world is a cheerful green color with an extremely large metal vault in the middle surrounded by a red see through firewall.

"Nothing new." replies Zero as Commander walks up next to him.

"May I have a moment Zero?" he asks as Zero turns to him.

"Of course." he replies.

"What… are you?" asks Commander.

"I don't think I understand your question." replies Zero with a blank stare.

"You are not a normal Navi like myself… you seem to be something more…" states Commander as he turns away from Zero.

"Normal…?" asks Zero before Commander turns his head to Zero.

"If you get in my way, I will delete you myself, remember that." Commander tells him.

"If you can…" returns Zero as the blue strips across his chest begin to glow.

"Hmph." Commander replies as he logs out.

"What is his problem?" asks Blake as he scratches his forehead.

"I'm not sure… but if he tries to delete me, I'll make sure he is deleted first." replies Zero as he crosses his arms.

"Great… a couple of cyber rivals…" Blake mutters before alarms begin to sound in the cyber world. Zero instantly snaps his head towards the firewall to his right as a Navi begins to form on the outside. As the figure forms they can see that this Navi is built for combat. He is easily twice the size of Zero with a body that looks well built. He wears brown and green armor all over his body, but has an orange face mask. His visor is green and his head has two spark plugs sticking out enough to move back and forth. His chest plate looks light just as the armor on his legs look light.

"Ha-ha! I'm here to take the data inside of that vault!" he shouts before taking notice of Zero. "They sent a runt to try and stop me!? I'm insulted!" the Navi shouts as he pulls his right arm back. Sparks of blue electricity begins to spark from his palm before clenching his fist. He punches the firewall as the entire cyber world begins to shake from his might.

"He did that with just a single punch…?" Blake asks with a shocked face.

"Blake can you hear me?" Jacob's voice can be heard from the PET. Blake pulls up the screen with his friends face on it.

"The virus Navi is here!" Blake shouts to him.

"I know! I'm sending Commander in on the other side! Just have Zero hang tight in case Commander fails!" Jacob tells him as he cuts the transmission.

_**In case Commander fails? Why do I get the feeling we're playing the last string here?**_

Commander suddenly materializes behind the attacking Navi as it turns around to face him. The Navi scoffs at the sight of another small Navi before rushing forward with the palms of his hands facing forward. Commander takes one step forward before disappearing from sight. The large Navi stops dead in his tracks as he looks around, suddenly receiving a shot from behind. He spins around to see Commander in the far distance lying down on the ground using an energy sniper rifle. The large Navi runs towards him again while dodging the energy rounds. Commander leaps back from his position as the enemy comes crashing down from above. Instantly Commander's left arm forms into a blade that looks like it is made out of crystal. He rushes forward before slashing at his foe. The blade barely scratches the Navi as he grabs Commander by the neck. Suddenly a large cannon falls on top of the two as the large Navi is forced to release Commander. As he regains his stance Commander takes aim with the large cannon, charging his next attack. As the humming noise can be heard throughout the cyber world the large Navi charges forward again. At that moment Commander fires the cannon, even destroying the cyber ground underneath his feet. The cannon disappears as Commander walks away from the cloud of steam. Suddenly a hand extends from the steam, grabbing Commander from behind.

"Not bad for a runt!" the Navi says as he throws Commander into the firewall. Instantly Commander logs out as the large Navi turns his attention to the firewall again.

"Blake! He'll be fighting us next!" Zero tells him as Blake nods his head.

"We'll be ready!" replies Blake as Jacob runs into the room.

"What was that!?" Jacob shouts as he runs up to Blake.

"How is Commander doing?" asks Blake as the large Navi begins to pound away at the firewall.

"He needs half an hour to recharge, if you can hold that thing off for at least half an hour we can double team him!" Jacob tells him as Blake nods his head.

"We'll do our best to try." he returns as the Navi finally breaks through the firewall.

"Here's Kaiser!" the Navi shouts as he looks at Zero.

"My turn." speaks Zero as he runs towards the large Navi.

"You're just another runt! Get out of my way!" Kaiser shouts at him as he punches at Zero. The red Navi tries to avoid the punch but ends up being punched in the face.

"What's wrong Zero?" asks Blake as he takes notice to his slow movements.

"I'm not sure… I feel slow…" replies Zero as Jacob crosses his arms.

"I'll activate your armor system!" Blake tells him as he brings up the select screen. He puts his finger over the white armor as an error code appears on the screen.

"Error?" asks Jacob as he looks towards Blake.

"What happened? An error code?" asks Blake as Zero is punched once again by Kaiser.

"I can't… move fast enough!" Zero says as he rolls along the ground.

"Give me your PET Blake!" Jacob speaks up as he takes the PET off of Blake's arm.

"What are you doing!?" shouts Blake as he watches Jacob move his fingers across the PET's screen.

"I know what is wrong with Zero. He's been acting sluggish ever since they installed the anti virus program inside of him! Zero is a virus Navi himself! The two simply cannot work together!" Jacob tells him as Blake watches him pull up many program files on the PET.

_**A virus Navi… like the one attacking Zero right now?**_

"What are you doing with my PET?" asks Blake as Jacob's finger move even faster.

"I'm hacking into your PET right now. I'm searching for the anti virus program so I can delete it!" Jacob replies as he continues to search for the file.

"Be deleted with this attack!" Kaiser shouts as Jacob finally finds the correct program.

"Found it! Deleting it now!" Jacob shouts as Kaiser punches at the extremely beat up Zero. As soon as Jacob presses the delete button Zero catches Kaiser's punch. The three blue stripes across his chest break off as he looks towards Kaiser with the blue gem on his head glowing.

"I'll delete you!" shouts Zero as Kaiser is thrown back.

"What is this sudden power!?" shouts Kaiser as he slides backwards. Zero's armor begins to flash a variety of colors as his eyes turn red.

"What's going on here?" asks Blake as Jacob hands the PET back to him.

"I was afraid of this… the anti virus program was not strong enough to delete the viruses inside of Zero… instead the program suppressed them. This is the result… his power is over flowing at the moment." Jacob explains as a dark red armor icon begins to flash on the PET screen.

"What…?" asks Blake as Zero's color turns dark red, his Z-Saber instantly forming in his right hand with his pistol in the left. Zero's eyes continue to glow red as he dashes towards Kaiser.

"Don't fool around with me!" shouts Kaiser as he punches towards Zero. The dark red Navi ducks before rising upwards with his saber, also firing a charged blast from his pistol as he is in the air. Kaiser flies back again but this time hit's the ground hard.

"I… will… delete you!" Zero tells Kaiser as he walks towards him with his saber flickering back and forth.

"Zero…?" asks Blake as he watches his Navi attack with the saber.

Kaiser suddenly lunges forward as he grabs Zero by his face, holding his slightly above the ground. Zero's current weapons disappear before a spike appears on each arm. Kaiser is forced to release him as Zero pierces through the armor this time with the two yellow spike weapons. Kaiser once again charges forward as his hands spark with blue electricity. He hits Zero in the face as he is barely even fazed. The blue gem on his forehead begins to blink as Zero's red eyes begin to lose color. Kaiser brings his left foot around as Zero uses the two spikes to launch himself into the air. The large Navi chases after him as Zero's saber materializes once again. He begins to spin in the air as Kaiser shows no signs of backing down. The two clash as Kaiser loses his left hand, instantly being knocked back down to the ground. Zero lands in front of him before the large Navi disappears.

"He logged out…" Blake says as Zero's blue gem begins to blink even faster.

"Blake! Get Zero back in your PET right now!" Jacob shouts to him as Blake does what he is told. Zero returns to the PET in his normal colored armor and his normal colored eyes.

"Are you okay Zero?" asks Blake as his Navi looks towards him.

"I'm fine. What happened to the anti virus program?" asks Zero as Blake gives him a blank stare.

"He doesn't remember anything? This seems to be a bad habit of his…" Jacob thinks to himself as a red armor appears on Blake's PET screen.

"A new armor…? This armor was not in the original set…" Blake speaks as the armor disappears from the screen.

"Blake, don't use that armor." Jacob tells him.

"Why? You saw how powerful it was!" Blake replies as Jacob shakes his head.

"I'm not denying that… that armor seemed to drain Zero of his energy… do not use that armor… the next time you do it may delete Zero…" Jacob tells him as Blake looks at Zero.

"Then I won't use the armor. I'm not going to risk Zero because of some armor." Blake returns as they look at the destroyed firewall. Suddenly Simon runs into the room before screaming at the top of his lungs.

"What happened to my firewall!?" he screams as Blake and Jacob get a stressed look to their faces.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Scene 1 End**


	11. ZNC4 Scene 2: Hidden Enemy

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 4: Sharpening The Sword**

**Scene 2: Hidden Enemy**

**

* * *

**_**I've been here at this island for a day now and I already hate it. Sure, it was cool at first but that ended when one of the butlers tried to push me off into the deep blue sea. He claims it was an accident but I don't buy that crap. It really felt like he did it on purpose… then again this one butler is really old and clumsy. I should just give him the benefit of the doubt right?**_

"Young fool, please stay out of my way." the butler says to Blake as he walks past him with a plate full of food.

_**Did I mention this one guy likes to call me fool?**_

"I'll show him who the fool is…" Blake mutters to himself before Jacob grabs his arm.

"Let it go, we've got work to do anyways." he speaks as Blake takes a deep breath.

"Sure. I've got a few things I'd like to ask you anyways." returns Blake as he follows Jacob down the long white hallway.

_**I can't shake the feeling that I'm being kept in the dark with something… I hate that feeling. I wonder if Jacob knows anything more… about Zero being a Virus Navi…**_

"I don't know very much actually." Jacob tells Blake as he takes a drink from a glass of water at a small table in the breakfast room.

Blake searches Jacob's eyes for truth as Zero's hologram appears on the table, seeming to be curious of the surroundings. Through Zero's eyes he can see nothing but walls of coding and text running though the walls. Jacob tosses a green apple into the air before he tries to catch it, missing it completely. It falls towards Zero as he actually takes out his saber and slashes towards it.

"Zero? Are you doing okay there?" asks Blake as Zero's saber disappears.

"Yes, I have taken out the enemy." replies Zero as calm as possible.

"You mean… the apple?" asks Blake as Zero crosses his arms.

"The apple stood no chance of winning." returns Zero as Blake gets a stressed look to his face.

"You need help." Blake mutters as Jacob looks at the apple that Zero attacked.

"What the… Zero is just a hologram at the moment… the apple was cut in half…" thinks Jacob as he grabs the apple. Sure enough it falls apart in his hand as he covers it up from Blake.

"So what about Zero being a Virus Navi?" asks Blake as he crosses his arms. "You said that you don't know much, so tell me what you do know." he adds.

"I'm not allowed to go any further than I already have…" he replies before closing his eyes.

"Even though Zero is my Navi?" asks Blake as he squints his eyes.

"If you want to know that badly… you can always net battle me for the information." Jacob replies as he crosses his arms.

"No thanks. I'd rather not fight a losing battle right now." returns Blake as he stands to his feet. Zero's image disappears while Blake walks away. Jacob looks at the apple one more time before throwing it into the trash can behind him.

_**I'll say it. It really ticks me off that I'm being left in the dark, even more so since Zero's is my Net Navi! I'll have to be patient because it looks like Jacob is not going to tell me anything anytime soon. I'd have to net battle him for the info huh? That means he knows something… something big.**_

At that moment the alarms in the house begin to sound off as Blake and Jacob make their way to the control room. Simon is already there typing away on one of his many keyboards. The alarms turn off as Simon plops himself down on the seat behind him, quickly wiping the sweat away.

"What happened?" asks Jacob while Blake walks around the control room.

"I'm not sure… the alarms went off but nothing has happened. The vault is perfectly fine…" he replies before standing to his feet.

"Strange…" mutters Blake while looking at the control panels closely.

"What is it?" asks Zero as Blake walks off to himself for a moment.

"I don't believe in accidents Zero… something happened either here or in the cyber world." replies Blake while Zero crosses his arms.

"Let's split up then." states Zero.

"That's a good idea. I'll watch out here…" "While I watch in here." Zero finishes Blake's sentence as his Net Operator sends him into the cyber world.

_**I'm at a risk of sounding extremely cliché, but something does smell fishy. I'm sure that with both me and Zero on this it shouldn't be a problem.**_

"If you find anything…" "Let you know. Roger that." Zero finishes again as Blake laughs a bit.

"You're getting good at that." Blake tells his Navi as his PET screen turns off.

"Blake?" asks Jacob from behind as he spins around.

"Y-Yeah?" asks Blake while scratching his neck.

"Let's go, Simon asked us to do something for him." returns Jacob as he walks away.

_**Simon actually asked Jacob to do something for him. I was just along for the ride I guess… I know that I just now joined the Official Net Battlers, but do they have to make me feel like the last string? I wonder… do they trust me? Or is it really because Jacob is their Ace in the hole? Oh well… I'm too young to be thinking about these things I guess. It will give me gray hair. Anyways, all Simon wanted Jacob to do was give an example of his net battle skills. Yay...**_

"Would you like a try?" Simon suddenly asks Blake as they walk towards a dim lighted room with no windows.

"U-Uh no… that's okay…" Blake replies.

_**I can't let him know that I left Zero in the system.**_

Zero walks around the cyber world with his curiosity sparked. He looks to his right to see the large vault behind the firewall. To his left is an ever lasting plain of cyber world. Zero makes the choice to explore his left rather than stay with the vault. The cyber world slowly turns dark blue as he makes his way to a data bridge.

"Strange…" he thinks to himself as he walks up to the data bridge. "This entire area should be cut off from the rest of the internet." his thought continues as he crosses the bridge.

He suddenly passes through what felt like a barrier, almost feeling like liquid. The cyber world turns dark red in an instant as Zero looks ahead of himself to see an army of viruses lined up in formation. None of them are moving at the moment. Zero walks closer to them as he realizes that Simon's vault is in danger now.

"This hidden area is off limits to wimps like you!" a voice shouts to him from above as Kaiser comes crashing down in front of him.

"Kaiser!" shouts Zero as he rolls over while drawing his saber.

"So you managed to find our hiding place? Not bad for a small fry… but now that you've seen this place I have no choice but to delete you!" Kaiser tells him as sparks begin to fly from his hands and arms.

"Just try it!" returns Zero as he leaps towards Kaiser.

"Man… how long is this going to take?" Blake asks himself as he watches Commander deleting viruses one after another.

_**Simon continues to ask him to net battle… this is boring me. I wonder how Zero is doing…**_

"Zero? Are you there Zero?" Blake asks as his PET's screen is fuzzy looking.

_**That's strange… there shouldn't be a limit to the range on this thing. Did he leave the cyber world? No way… I hope you know what you're doing right now Zero.**_

"That's enough for me Simon. Commander looks worn out right now." Jacob tells him as he turns his PET off.

"That's quite alright Jacob, thank you for showing me such fine net battle skills." replies Simon as he looks towards Blake. "What about you?" he asks again.

"No thanks." returns Blake while glancing towards his PET.

"Oh well I guess. We should really get back to the vault before something happens." Jacob speaks up as Simon shakes his head.

"I wouldn't worry about the vault. That firewall was programmed and created by yours truly. The only way something could get through it was if I allowed that program too." Simon tells them as he chuckles a bit.

Zero rolls along the ground as pieces of his armor breaks off. Kaiser slowly walks towards him while clenching his fists. Zero forces himself to stand to his feet before taking a fighting stance with his saber slightly being held out to his left while holding the hilt with both hands. Kaiser charges forward as Zero does the same thing. Zero slashes towards his foe only to have each attack countered with an electric attack. Kaiser begins to laugh as he places his hands on Zero's chest, suddenly sending a charge of energy at him. Zero flies through the barrier before rolling along the cyber ground. Suddenly Blake can hear grunts and coughs coming from his PET as he turns the screen on.

"Zero! Are you alright!?" he asks as Jacob begins to watch.

"Blake…? You… sent Zero in before we left the control room?" asks Jacob as Simon's attention is caught by then.

"What's this now?" asks Simon as he walks closer.

"I had Zero stay behind just in case, and it turns out I was right! Zero is under attack by that Navi from before!" replies Blake as he runs to the control room. Jacob and Simon follow as well while Zero stands to his feet.

"So you managed to make contact with your Net Operator… how cute. The two of you combined cannot hope to defeat me!" Kaiser shouts to him before striking the ground with his electric powers. A surge of energy hits Zero as the light red warrior screams out in pain.

"Zero!" shouts Blake as Zero's blue gem begins to glow.

"I'm fine Blake… I hope you brought help…" Zero says as Commander materializes in front of him.

"Commander! Help Zero defeat this guy!" Jacob tells his Navi.

"Understood! Let's go Zero!" Commander calls to him as the light red warrior nods his head.

"Don't mess around with me!" Kaiser shouts at them as the two heroes charge towards him.

Commander's gun blades appear in his hands as he leaps into the air while taking aim. Zero fires his pistol at Kaiser as the large Navi blocks the first barrage of bullets. Commander opens fire as he lands to the right side of Kaiser. The large Navi turns his attention to the white knight before Zero slashes from the left. Kaiser grabs Zero and throws him into the air. In an instant he appears in front of Zero before slamming him to the ground. Commander catches him before impact as Kaiser comes crashing down on the two. A massive cloud of cyber dust rises as the two heroes struggle to over power their foe. Zero slashes while Commander does the same with his gun blades. Kaiser blocks both attacks as the two smaller Navi's continue their attacks. The dust clears as the three continue to fight it out. Suddenly Zero slashes at Kaiser's left leg as Commander catches on and slashes at Kaiser's right leg. The large Navi loses his balance before falling down in front of the two heroes. They open fire on the backside of Kaiser as the Navi begins to spark, suddenly catching on fire. Zero and Commander leap away as Kaiser actually explodes in a massive amount of data.

"You've lost to us." Commander speaks.

"This is our victory." adds Zero as they watch the bits of data float around.

"You have no victory!" another voice calls from behind.

"That voice…" Zero says to himself as he and Commander turn around to face the voice.

"That was a pitiful fight." a familiar red Navi with spikes stands there while holding a small white glowing orb in his right hand.

"Axis!" Zero shouts as the spiked Navi laughs a bit.

"You have failed your mission. I hold in my right hand the data that was stored inside of the vault. My mission is complete… until next time!" Axis tells them as he disappears.

"The vault… has been wiped out?" asks Blake as he looks to Simon.

"W-Why are you looking at m-me?" asks Simon before Blake grabs him by his shirt.

"What are you doing Blake!?" shouts Jacob as Blake punches Simon in the face.

"Ask him that question! He said it himself… nothing can get through that firewall unless he says so! He set it all up… even from the start!" Blake reveals as Jacob looks to Simon.

"Simon…? Is this true?" asks Jacob.

"I'm afraid so… oh well… I guess you'll just have to die along with me." Simon replies while slamming his left fist down on a button that was protected by glass. The alarms begin to sound throughout the entire island as it also begins to shake.

"What did you do!?" yells Blake as he shakes Simon.

"I activated the self destruct sequence. In one minute everything will be gone… you… me. Everything." replies Simon as Jacob shakes his head.

"Bull crap!" returns Blake as Zero and Commander return to their own PET's.

"This is Jacob Wright! Can you hear me!?" Jacob speaks into his PET.

"This is helicopter pilot number three. I copy." replies a voice as the two of them begin to run to the exit of the house.

"This island will explode in less than thirty seconds! Get us out of here now!" Jacob replies as they reach the cliff of the island. The butlers and maids are there as well. Suddenly a large helicopter flies up from the cliffs as everyone piles in.

"Was I… wrong… Rockman…?" Simon asks a shadow image on a monitor as it walks away before the monitor turns off. The island suddenly explodes as the helicopter flies off to safety.

"You had a helicopter waiting for us?" asks Blake while Jacob smiles back.

"Let's just say that I had my suspicions like you had yours. It turns out that we were both right… Simon has been under close watch for a long time. When he reported in about his possible break through with the virus, we wanted to make sure he wasn't trying to pull something. I really believe he created a cure… now we'll never know thanks to Axis." Jacob explains as the oldest butler walks up to Blake.

"Why is the young fool here?" he asks as Blake lets out a sigh.

"Old man I swear if you call me a fool one more time… I'll kick you out of this helicopter myself." Blake tells him.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Scene 2 End**


	12. ZNC4 Scene 3: Deadly Power

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 4: Sharpening The Sword**

**Scene 3: Deadly Power**

**

* * *

**_**Well after that Simon guy nearly blew us all up, we arrived back on shore safe and sound. Mr. Charles insisted on us getting some rest and to go to school for once. I never thought it would feel so good to hear that… I think everyone still hates me there, but I have Faith to look forward too.**_

With a smile Blake walks through the doors of the school. Everyone turns around to see that Blake has made an appearance finally. Most of them turn away while others continue to watch him walk through the hallways. Blake's smile quickly fades away as a group of football jocks walk up to him. All of them seem to have frowns on their faces as they get closer to Blake.

"Hey, Maverick." one calls to him as the group splits. Their football captain walks down the middle of them as Blake looks up to the guy, showing the obvious difference in height.

"Yeah?" asks Blake as he prepares himself for a fight. He is caught off guard as the captain puts his hands on Blake's shoulders.

"Listen Blake… I'm sorry. We're all real sorry for what we've done in the past. We've seen the news reports and even the security footage of you taking on Mr. Sigma… we're sorry that we continued to attack your father… can you forgive us?" asks the captain as he bows down in front of Blake, shocking even his team mates.

"H-Hey… there's nothing to forgive…" Blake replies as the captain looks up at him with a smile on his face.

"You should get a free punch." he tells Blake while turning his left cheek towards Blake.

"I'm not going to punch you because of something like that." Blake tells him as the rest of the football players let out a sigh of relief.

"I insist." the captain continues as Blake sighs to himself.

"Do you want a trip to the hospital that badly?" asks Blake before a familiar girl walks up behind the captain.

"That's right, he'll mess you up for sure." Faith tells the captain as Blake smiles again.

"If you say so Faith… come on guys let's go." the captain tells them before walking away.

_**What… just happened…? Could it be true? I don't have enemies in school anymore…? Too good to be true.**_

"It's been a long time since I've seen you Blake." Faith speaks to Blake as she smiles at him.

_**Look at her… wearing her hair in a ponytail… and with that school girl outfit too… wow…**_

"I'm sorry about that Faith… I had to kind of go into hiding for a bit." returns Blake as the two of them stand in the middle of the hallway.

"I've really wanted to see you." Faith tells him while blushing a bit.

_**Do you remember the stupid question about being stranded on a deserted island with someone? I'd choose her in a heartbeat.**_

"I'll make it up to you Faith." he tells her before grabbing her left arm. "How about going to the park tonight around nine?" he asks as she smiles back at him.

"That sounds nice. Central Park?" asks Faith as the school bell rings.

"Central Park it is." Blake replies as the two of them walk to class together.

_**It honestly feels good to be back in school. This is a great break from all of the Official Net Battlers work… As cool as they seem, they are also extremely strange. I need to get back to reality. As soon as I stepped into my science class I noticed a new teacher sitting at the desk. His name is Mr. Cain and kind of an elderly person as well. He's bald but has a white mustache and a beard to go with that. Of course, he wears the ever so standard white lab coat. He's a really nice man too… he doesn't fit in school at all.**_

Jacob walks past the school as he can hear the next school bell ring. His thoughts fill with his memories in that place. He smiles at times while at other moments he frowns. He looks at his PET at times before turning the corner, looking towards the next street.

"Are you positive that you want to skip school?" Commander asks suddenly as Jacob shakes his head.

"Too joyful for me. Let Blake have his moments of peace, I will continue to work." replies Jacob as he looks to his PET. "Besides, I know you don't like the off time either." he adds as Commander manages a smirk across his face.

"What is the mission today?" questions Commander while his Net Operator crosses the street.

"Chase Inc." returns Jacob as Commander seems to be shocked by this.

"Why… so suddenly?" Commander asks him before crossing his arms.

"Don't worry Commander, I just want to collect information today. It's far too soon to plan any form of attack strategy." replies Jacob as his Net Navi closes his eyes.

"How can I help?" asks Commander.

"We will be hacking into the main systems, so your skills will be needed there for sure." Jacob replies as he walks across another street.

"Roger that." Commander returns as the PET screen turns off.

"Commander… you're always ready to help me out…" Jacob thinks to himself as he puts his hands in his jacket pockets.

_**My first two classes were actually normal… it has been a while since I've been able to say that. Normal… as long as Sigma is out there my life will never be normal. One thing is for sure when it comes to school… time really does fly by. It's already over for today… my history teacher was actually calm while teaching today. Maybe they gave her some sort of nerve calming medicine. I met with the Principal after school too, she seemed glad to see me doing well. I told her that I was a Official Net Battler and she gave me permission to use my PET during school hours if needed. I didn't want to tell her but Mr. Charles insisted that I did so… whatever. After school I searched and searched for Faith but I couldn't find her. I guess she went home already… I should do the same thing.**_

Blake walks through his neighborhood with a frown on his face. Many bad memories run across his thoughts as one sticks out the most. The night when he came home and could see lights flashing back and forth. He closes his eyes for a moment as he remembers everything his mother did for him. All of the times that she helped him up from a fall or talked with him while cleaning the kitchen. A single tear rolls down his right cheek as he wipes it away. He walks up to his door before searching the floor mat for the house key. As he enters his house he can see that nobody has been inside since he has been away.

Jacob leaves a train in the downtown area of ACDC. He looks up into the sky to see that the white clouds are covering the sun at the moment. He looks around to see a hot dog stand in the distance. He walks over to the stand before ordering a hot dog and a soda for himself. He looks down the busy streets as he waits for his order. The buildings in the area look old but still in a stable condition. Jacob takes the hot dog and soda before swiping his PET's screen across a small black port on the top of the stand, instantly paying for the food.

"Thanks for your business!" the man behind the stand says as he smiles.

"Don't mention it. Nothing beats the best hot dog stand in town." Jacob replies as he holds the hot dog up for a moment.

Jacob then walks away while eating away at his food. As he finishes the hot dog he opens the soda can before drinking it down all in one go. He walks up to a nearby trash can before throwing the can away. He dusts his hands off before putting his hands in his jacket pockets. He waits in a crowd of people for the light to change before walking across with them. After a few minutes of walking he stops in front of a building that has Higsby's displayed on a board above it. Jacob wastes no more time in going inside as he looks around the inside of the building. From the entrance to the back, nothing but battle chips and programs for PET's.

"Hello and welcome young man. How can I help you today?" an old man with bushy gray hair and bottle thick glasses greets Jacob. He is wearing a blue and green jogging suit and walking with a cane at the moment.

"How is your business going Higsby?" ask Jacob while smiling at the man.

"Jacob…? Is that really you?" asks the man as he moves his glasses up and down.

"How have you been?" Jacob asks while Higsby smiles back at him.

"My boy I'm too old for happy reunions. Come, let's sit down and talk." Higsby tells him while turning around. He leads Jacob to his back office before sitting down at his desk. The room is full of computers and servers with the wires from them all over the place.

"How is Numberman doing since I gave him the upgrade?" asks Jacob.

"Much better. Old Net Navi's such as Numberman have a hard time keeping up with the latest technology. Speaking of Numberman…" Higsby speaks as he looks at the PET on his desk. He presses one of the buttons before a hologram of a Net Navi appears on the desk. His head looks like a disco ball with a face, the rest of the body is somewhat standard.

"What is it?" asks Numberman before Commander's hologram appears next to him.

"How's it going Numberman?" asks Commander as he looks towards his Navi friend.

"Commander! It's good to see you again!" Numberman shouts to him as his head lights up.

"Numberman, please lock down the store and secure all of the cameras for me. I'm sure Jacob and Commander are not here for old times sake." Higsby tells his Navi.

"Right away." replies Numberman before he disappears from the table.

"I wish I was able to visit you for old times sake. But there are things that I need help with… you're the only one that can give me that help." Jacob tells him as the old man takes his glasses off to clean them.

"I assume you're here because I have a stable internet connection with Chase Inc?" asks Higsby as Jacob closes his eyes.

"Yes… they're up to something lately. I want to find out what it is and make sure they are caught." Jacob replies.

"You know, Chase Inc is one of my major providers… Numberman has hacked into their systems many times without them knowing about it. I know they are very crooked, but they're products are top of the line. As long as they do not have anything illegal in what they sell to me I will leave them alone." Higsby tells him as Jacob smiles.

"I have to get in there and find out what they have been planning. Please Higsby." Jacob says to Higsby as the old man smiles back.

"You remind me a lot of a young boy and his Net Navi." Higsby speaks.

"You mean Netto Hikari and Rockman?" asks Jacob while crossing his arms.

"Yes. Things have not been the same since Netto died two years ago." Higsby speaks as he looks down at the desk.

"I've only met the two once in my life. I was on a mission from the Official's involving many net and real life crimes. There was a huge shipment of prototype weapons being shipped out of the country one night and I was selected to stop them along with a few others. When me and my team arrived on the scene Netto and Rockman were already there dealing with the situation by themselves. That is when I learned about Cross Fusion… they were amazing." Jacob explains as Higsby shakes his head.

"Yes they were. Detective Netto… hard to imagine that he became a detective. It was an honor to watch that boy grow up into the man that he became. If you ever have the chance to meet his son, make sure that you make the most of it. He lives in Yumland with his own family right now." Higsby tells him while looking towards Commander.

"I will. Now how about using your computers?" Jacob asks him while smiling.

"Ah yes… I almost forgot about that. Are you done yet Numberman?" the old man asks as his Navi appears on the desk again.

"All done Higsby." he replies as Commander's image disappears.

"Are you sure that you want to hack in?" questions Higsby as Jacob stands to his feet and walks over to one of the computers.

"Don't forget that I'm a master when it comes to hacking." Jacob tells him with a thumbs up.

"So be it. Just be careful of the Navi patrolling the systems of Chase." Higsby tells him as he leans back in his seat.

_**Crap! It's already eight!? If I don't leave now I'll be late! Faith would hate me for sure if I stood her up!**_

Blake runs out of his house and locks the door behind him. He runs down the street before the PET's screen turns on. He looks at the screen from time to time for directions to Central Park. He later finds out that the park is near Faith's apartment, nearly around the block from her place. Blake barely catches the bus down the street as he sits down on the transportation vehicle. He catches his breath for a moment as he looks around the bus. Everyone is watching him at the moment because of him breathing so hard. He smiles at them before they return to doing what they were doing before. His PET begins to beep at him half an hour from then as he realizes that his stop is coming up. He pays for the ride before leaving the bus, taking off in the direction of the park. He looks at the time to see that he is five minutes early. He looks around to see Faith sitting at one of the benches.

"Sorry to keep you waiting…" Blake speaks up from behind as Faith jumps to her feet. At the moment she is wearing her hair down with a white blouse and skirt with her normal high socks and shoes.

"Don't worry about it." she replies with a gentle smile.

_**Shoot me, now.**_

Jacob runs his fingers across his PET as well as the keyboards with lightning fast motion. Commander flies through the systems in a ball of light as he nears a large firewall. Jacob continues to hack in while Higsby watches with interest. Commander stops in front of the firewall as a massive amount of data begins to leak towards him.

"Even more files…" Commander mutters as Jacob copies the files.

"Even so, every little bit helps." Jacob tells his Navi as the firewall finally disappears.

"Continuing." Commander speaks as he returns to his former state.

"So far there is nothing going on… I'm still not satisfied." Jacob speaks as the old man makes a stressed face.

"I'm sure you will find something. I'm too old for this… I'll let you lock up." Higsby tells him as Jacob chuckles a bit.

"Wait a second!" Jacob suddenly shouts as Higsby staggers back a bit.

"Are you crazy!? Never startle an old man like that!" he shouts back as Jacob stands to his feet.

"Commander plug out now!" Jacob tells him as Commander does what he is told.

"What is it my boy?" asks Higsby as Jacob pulls up one of the files.

"This… is an assassination order… from Sigma!" Jacob replies as he continues to read the text. "No! Blake!" adds Jacob as he runs out of the office.

"Numberman cover his tracks." Higsby tells his Navi.

"Right away." Numberman replies.

"How have you been Blake?" Faith asks him as she kicks her feet back and forth from the bench.

"I've been doing okay… it's nice to be back home for a little while." Blake replies as Faith sighs.

"Just a little while?" she asks as Blake nods his head.

"I wish I could stay here forever, but there is still a target on my head. Sigma is not going to stop… I feel it." Blake replies as Faith hugs his right arm.

"Does the protector need protecting?" she asks with a giggle.

"If you're the one protecting me, then I don't have anything to worry about." he replies with a chuckle of his own. The two of them look towards the sky as a shooting star flies across it.

"Make a wish." Faith speaks up as Blake shakes his head.

"My wish is holding me." he replies as she stands to her feet.

"Now who could have taught you such a corny line?" she asks with a laugh at the end. The lights to the park suddenly turn on as Blake stands to his feet as well.

"I guess that was self taught." he replies as Faith takes a step away from him.

"I wonder… will we be able to spend time with each other like this… on another night?" she asks while looking up towards the sky.

"I hope so Faith… I… really enjoy spending time with you." he tells her as she becomes silent.

"Is that so…?" she asks while turning away from him.

"Yes. I… really enjoy being around you." he continues as she looks to the ground.

"I enjoy spending time with you too Blake." Faith returns as she turns back to him with tears in her eyes.

"I… I…" Blake starts as the two walk closer to each other.

"Idiot… just say it." she tells him as the two of them hold on to each other. Suddenly the ground begins to shake as the two of them are thrown to the ground.

"An earthquake!?" Blake shouts as the ground breaks away in front of them. Axis jumps out of the ground as Blake gets a shocked look on his face.

"There you are!" Axis shouts to Blake as he lands in front of them.

"What's going on Blake!?" Faith asks him as the two of them stand to their feet.

"How touching… a date with the girl? I almost feel sorry for ruining your night." Axis speaks as he walks towards them. He puts his right hand on Faith's shoulder before Blake grabs the arm and flips him over.

"Don't touch her!" he shouts as Axis flips over in mid air. Axis' body begins to spark as he punches Blake in the face, throwing him back against one of the benches.

"Blake! He's using a mini dimensional area! We have one inside of the PET!" Zero shouts to Blake as he stands to his feet.

"You're right… but we've never done the Cross Fusion before…" Blake mutters to himself as he looks towards Faith.

"Come here little girl… your death will be the first of many tonight." Axis tells her as she takes a few steps back.

"No…! Blake!!" she screams at the top of her lungs.

"Faith…!" Blake shouts before holding the syncro chip in front of him. "Cross Fusion!" he shouts before sliding the chip inside of the PET's back side. In an instant Zero's black suit appears over Blake's body. At that moment Zero's armor materializes over his chest and legs. The helmet appears over his head before the blue gem begins to glow. His boots materialize at that moment as his gloves appear. Long blonde hair flows out of the back of his helmet as he turns to Axis who has his attention now.

"What's this?" asks Axis before Blake tackles him from the side.

"B-Blake…?" Faith asks as she watches the two fight each other.

Blake draws his saber as Axis extends his two arm spikes. The two of them clash with each other as Blake begins to feel heavy. Axis kicks Blake in the stomach as he staggers back a bit, realizing that Axis is attacking already. Blake blocks the incoming attack with his saber before spinning around to kick Axis in the face. The dark red Navi staggers back a bit before lunging forward with his two spikes. Blake barely avoids the attack as he begins to sweat. Blake charges forward while slashing his saber wildly, showing signs of being tired. His heavy breathing continues as he blocks Axis' next attack.

"I have to… protect… Faith…!" he mutters to himself as Axis suddenly appears behind him.

"I'll kill you right now!" Axis shouts to him as he raises his right arm into the air. Suddenly he is shot from behind before he turns around to see Jacob standing there with a sniper rifle, already fused with Commander. Blake falls to the ground as Axis disappears.

"Blake!" Faith shouts as Zero's armor fades away and returns to the PET on Blake's wrist.

"I'm glad I was in time… but what happened to you Blake?" Jacob thinks to himself as Faith continues to push Blake's body.

"Blake! Blaaaake!!" she continues to shout as Jacob walks up behind her.

* * *

**End of Chapter 4**

**

* * *

Now that I have actually explained what has happened to Netto, I can safely say that this story takes place in the year 2068, fifty years after Megaman Battle Network 6. I know that there was no real set time in the Battle Network games, only the year 20XX was given, so I assumed Battle Network took place in the years 2015 through 2018. I'm sorry I never replied to you about when this takes place ???. You're name is somewhat hard to type into a sentence so I'll refer to you as 3Q from now on. I did not want to spoil anything for you or the other readers of this story, please understand.  
**


	13. ZNC5 Scene 1: Breaking Point

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 5: Outbreak**

**Scene 1: Breaking Point**

**

* * *

**Blake wakes up as he is being pushed through a long hallway with the light quickly passing over him. He looks to his left to see Faith running along side him looking towards him with Jacob on the other side doing the same thing. Both of them look like they are talking to him, but Blake cannot hear what they are saying. His eyes slowly close as he blacks out, quickly waking up again while screaming at the top of his lungs. The doctors pin him down as one of the nurses sticks a needle into his left arm and injects something into him. Blake calms down before closing his eyes again, this time breathing harder. He opens his eyes once again to see Faith and Jacob standing below him, but something is wrong. He looks around to see that he is inside of some sort of lab, but what is worse is he is inside of a tube of water with an air mask on. He looks down to see that he is only wearing his white boxers. He looks at his hands to see that his veins are showing as if he was drawing multiple blue lines down his arm. Blake looks to the rest of his body to see that his veins are the same everywhere else.

"Blake, can you hear me?" a voice asks him as Blake looks around.

"Yeah…" he replies in a deep tone.

"Good. How is your vision?" the voice asks.

"I'm inside of a tube of water in my boxers, while my friends stare at me. One of them happens to be a girl…" replies Blake as Faith and Jacob laugh with each other.

"That's good to hear. You can think straight as well… I'm relieved to hear this." the voice speaks as Blake can hear footsteps above his tube.

"What… happened to me?" asks Blake as Faith looks down to the ground.

"A strange Navi attacked us while we were at the park… you transformed and defended me… but you blacked out after the Navi left." Faith explains as Blake lets out a sigh.

"I'm so glad that you're safe." Blake returns as Faith almost begins to cry. A man in a blue lab coat walks beside Jacob, wearing a pair of glasses with green eyes. He has short black and grey hair with a goatee the same colors. His lab coat is buttoned up at the moment, but Blake could make out his tan pants and brown boots.

"It appears that when you fused with your Net Navi, Zero, you were infected with the viruses that he contains. What you see on your arms and your body… your veins are contaminated with the virus. That water is cleaning out your system as we speak. If Jacob did not bring you back when he did… you surely would have died." the man tells Blake.

"How is Zero doing? Is he alright?" asks Blake in a very concerned tone.

"He's fine. I have your PET with me." Jacob speaks up as Blake lets out another sigh.

"My name is Dr. Adam Hybrid, but you can call me Adam. I'm one of the top scientists here at the Official Net Battlers." the man tells Blake as he pushes his glasses back with his middle finger.

"I wish we could have met under different circumstances." Blake tries to joke around as Adam chuckles a bit.

"Well met." Adam returns as he walks up to the tube. "If you will excuse me, I need to get back to maintaining the systems of this tube." he adds while tapping on the glass. He walks up a set of stairs as Blake watches him as much as he can.

"Are you okay Blake?" asks Faith while holding back the tears.

"I'm fine Faith, don't worry about me." replies Blake as he continues to float there in place.

"You gave us a really good scare… you died three times on some of the other doctors." Jacob tells him as Faith looks away.

"I what!?" shouts Blake.

"Yeah, three times. You're a stubborn person though, so I didn't think you would die on us." Jacob jokes as Blake manages to laugh.

"Look who's talking." he returns.

"Stop!!" screams Faith as even Adam pops his head over the computer console.

"What's wrong Faith?" asks Jacob as she starts to shake her head.

"None of this is funny! Blake almost died three times! All because… all because of me!" she shouts at them before running out of the room. This was the first time that Blake has actually seen her like this.

"Jacob, since I can't do it…" Blake starts as Jacob holds up his hand.

"I'll try, but I'm not any good at this sort of thing." he replies as Blake closes his eyes to rest.

"Ahh… to be young again…" Adam mutters to himself before continuing to monitor the computer.

Jacob catches up to Faith in a long hallway with only one brown couch where she is crying into her hands. Jacob walks over to her before sitting down next to her. He puts his hand on her back as she pulls away from him, causing him to become stressed. She looks up at him before scooting away from him.

"What's wrong?" asks Jacob, as if he had to ask.

"He risked his life for me… I don't want him to die because he cares for me!" she replies while the tears continue to roll down her cheeks.

"He risked his life because he didn't want to see you get hurt… or worse." Jacob tells her as she shakes her head.

"He's lost so much already… I don't want him to suffer like this!" she shouts back as Jacob scratches his head.

"Why do you think he fought to save you!?" Jacob suddenly shouts at her.

"W-What?" she asks while wiping her tears away.

"He defended you because he does not want to lose anyone else! His father was a victim of the Sigma Virus, his mother died because of the grief from his fathers death, his only brother and sister moved away from him… that is why he defended you! Because he cares for you! Do you really think he could take losing you as well!?" Jacob shouts as Faith looks away from him.

"I-I'm sorry…" Faith mutters as Jacob sighs.

"You two, you seem to have something special. Blake is a really strong person, ask any of the jocks who have tried to beat him up in school." Jacob tells her as she giggles a bit.

"That's true." she says while wiping away more tears.

"While Blake is a strong person… his emotions are getting the better of him. He needs your help Faith… he needs you to be his hero." Jacob tells her as she looks at him.

"You're a good friend, it's a good thing that he has you." she tells him while smiling at him.

"I'm not sure if I am his friend or not, that is up to Blake." replies Jacob as Faith shakes her head again.

"No, you are his friend. You've just proved that. I will try my best to support Blake… after all… I've never felt this way towards a boy before." Faith says as Jacob stands to his feet.

"Okay, that's all the information I needed for today. Let's go back to Blake alright?" he asks her as she giggles again.

"Sure, let's go." she replies as she stands to her feet.

Victor walks around a large room with nothing but a chair in the middle with a light above it. He is wearing a brown cloak at the moment. He is walking in a straight line back and forth while holding his right hand up to his chin, thinking to himself. Suddenly he stops, snapping his fingers before walking into the darkness of the room. The lights to the entire room suddenly turn on as the light reveals an even larger room with all kinds of scientific devices. Victor walks over to a table with red and green capsules in a spinning device, looking at each of them closely. He then pulls out one of the corks before doing the same thing with a yellow capsule, pouring the green one into the yellow capsule slowly.

"Ahh… I see. My latest version of the virus. This will need a test subject… and I know who to try it out on." Victor speaks as he looks at a screen with Blake and Faith on it, sitting at the park.

Blake continues to float in the tub as Faith and Jacob talk to him about other things besides Enigma and net battles. The subject of the jocks at school come up as Blake begins to chuckle to himself. The three of them continue this for hours as Adam types away at his keyboard. Finally after the day has gone by Adam walks over to the tube and presses a large red button. The water begins to drain out of the tube as Blake goes slowly descends with the water level. He can see that he is inside of a large room with dim blue lights.

"You're good to go Blake, but do me a favor and avoid fusing with your Navi. The next time you fuse with him we may not be able to save you." Adam tells him as the tube raises into the air. Blake takes off his mask as he takes a deep breath of air.

"C-Can I get s-some c-clothes?" Blake asks as Faith starts to giggle again.

"I don't know, I've enjoyed the show." she speaks as Blake seemed to be embarrassed by the comment. Jacob tosses him a large blanket as he rushes to cover himself.

"Then maybe you would like to go next?" asks Blake as Faith just seems to glare at him.

_**I don't ever want to go through that again. I mean it was kind of cool to just be floating there like that, but it's not something that I want to do all the time. I was finally able to get some clothes on after walking down a long as crap hallway, while freezing to death. If they wanted to kill me they should have just left me dying on their tables, the freezing path of doom is just too much. I can see why Jacob wears a leather jacket all the time now…**_

"I feel much better now." Blake says after taking a large bite out of his hamburger.

_**Where did you think I was going to go to? To sleep? Forget that, I was hungry.**_

"So what do you think of the Official Net Battler HQ?" Jacob asks Faith as she looks around at all of the workers eating and moving around.

"I had no idea that you two were Official Net Battlers!" she replies.

"Of course, that's why it's a secret." Blake speaks up as Faith elbows him in the left side.

"It's not very often that we get a visit from a citizen, so think of this as a special field trip." Jacob tells her as she takes a bite out of her own hamburger.

"Is there a phone I can use? I need to call my dad and tell him what has happened… he's probably going nuts by now." Faith speaks while Blake gets a stressed look on his face.

_**The wrath of a father… I should have just died.**_

"Down the hallway a bit, on the left side." Jacob tells her as she leaves the table.

"Thanks for saving our skins at the park" Blake says to Jacob.

"It was nothing. I just showed up at the right time, that's all." replies Jacob as he takes a bite out of his burger.

"If only… if only I could have used cross fusion correctly…" Blake says as he looks towards the people eating around them.

"Don't beat yourself up over that, you couldn't help it. None of us thought this would happen… the scientists are having a field day with this though…" Jacob tells him as he takes a drink from his glass of water.

"Are you alright Zero?" Blake asks his Navi as a hologram image appears on the table.

"I'm fine Blake." replies Zero as he looks towards Jacob.

"Well… that's good to hear. At least we know that we shouldn't fuse again, if not ever." Blake tells his Navi.

"I'm sorry Blake." Zero returns.

"For what?" questions Blake as Jacob takes another bite from his burger.

"I'm sorry that you were badly infected with the viruses inside of me, I did not know they would affect you like they did." Zero replies as he crosses his arms and closes his eyes.

"We're a team Zero, that's all you need to know. I'm not upset at you." Blake tells him as he takes off his PET.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asks him as Blake stands to his feet.

"I'm going to check on Faith." replies Blake as he walks away. Zero continues to stand there as Jacob grabs a fork before slowly moving it towards Zero. As soon as the fork nears Zero's back, the red Navi whirls around with his saber, blocking the fork from going further.

"Amazing…" Jacob thinks to himself.

"Don't poke me." Zero tells him as Jacob pulls the fork back, with a somewhat stressed face.

Blake runs to the left from the mess hall looking for Faith. He spots the phone down the hallway but Faith is not there. He walks up to the phone to see that it is hanging off of the hook, with the typical busy signal. Blake picks up the phone as the busy signal ends.

"Hello?" he asks as he can hear nothing but slow breathing.

"Well hello there Blake!" Victor's voice comes from the other end.

"Sigma!? Where is she!? Where is Faith!?" Blake shouts as his voice echoes through the hallway.

"She's safe for now, so how about we play a little game?" asks Victor.

"I'm not into sick games Sigma! Tell me where she is!" Blake shouts in response as Jacob runs up to him along with others behind him.

"What's going…" Jacob starts before Blake holds up his hand to Jacob's face.

"I see that your friends are there… good, they can join in on the fun as well. Listen and listen well boy, inside of this base is two containers with the Maverick Virus inside." Victor tells him as Blake begins to tremble.

"You… how dare you continue to use my fathers name for that virus!" Blake shouts to him as Jacob shakes his head.

"The Official Net Battler HQ is really impressive, indeed it is. It is such a vast place, that finding two containers within three hours might be nearly impossible." Victor continues.

"So you want us to find two containers within three hours? Is that it?" asks Blake as he looks towards the others behind Jacob.

"Your little slut friend is with one of the containers, but this container is a special one. I'm going to tell you where this one is and only this one. Your friends must go after the other one without help. If you do not follow my rules, I will detonate the containers full of the Maverick Virus ahead of schedule." Victor tells him as Blake closes his eyes.

"Jacob, give me my PET. I have to go after Faith. All of you will have to find a container full of the Sigma Virus here in the base." Blake tells them as they seem to dislike what he just said.

"Inside of the base!? How did Sigma manage that!?" Jacob asks as he hands Blake his PET.

"Where is she Victor?" Blake asks him in a calm voice.

"You're calm now, I like that. You even went back to a first name basis. Are we still friends?" asks Victor as Blake closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Just tell me where she is." replies Blake as Victor begins to chuckle.

"Very well. She is outside of the base, strapped to a very special chair. Look towards home to see her." Victor tells him as the phone line goes dead. Blake begins to run off before Jacob grabs his right arm.

"Don't fuse or do anything stupid Blake." Jacob tells him as Blake forces him to release his arm.

"I'll do what it takes to save her, nothing less." returns Blake as he runs towards the exit.

"What am I going to do with him…?" Jacob asks himself as he rubs the back side of his neck. "Let's move people!" he shouts to everyone while turning around.

Outside of the base minutes later, Blake runs up to Faith who is tied to a white lawn chair with tape over her mouth. Behind her is a blue see through container full of liquid. Faith begins to cry as Blake walks up closer to her, looking the chair over closely. He can see that it is set to go off if she sits up.

"Welcome Blake." Victor's voice comes from a small speaker on the back side of the chair.

"Victor." Blake replies as he stands there while clenching his fists.

"You're clenching your fists… are you upset at something?" asks Victor.

"Enough of the mind games Victor, tell me what I need to do, now." Blake returns.

"Very well. It is very simple. Plug in to the detonator system and defeat my Virus Warrior Axis. If you defeat him, I will release her from the chair and you two are free to go." Victor explains as Blake takes a step closer.

"Been there done that. Axis is weak compared to Zero." Blake speaks back as Victor laughs a bit.

"I can assure you, he has been upgraded." Victor returns as Blake nears the back side of the chair.

"I'm ready." Zero speaks up as Blake sends him into the system.

Zero's form materializes in a strange dull yellow cyber world with blue streaks of code slowly moving in the background. The ground is brown with nuts and bolts screwed into the floor everywhere. Axis appears out of nowhere as Zero draws his saber, ready to attack. In an instant Axis punches him in the face, sending him flying across the cyber world. Zero flips over before sliding to a stop, receiving another punch to the face from Axis again. He flies back yet again as Axis chases after him this time. Zero brings his saber around in an attempt to catch his foe off guard. Axis grabs the saber and quickly turns it around to stab Zero in the stomach with his own blade.

"Zero!" Blake yells at his Navi as the light red Navi stagger to his feet, slowly pulling the saber out. He screams out in pain as the saber leaves his stomach, forcing a large amount of data to flow out as well.

"I can… still fight!" Zero replies as he staggers towards Axis, who at the moment is standing still with his arms crossed.

"I'll send you a recovery chip right away!" Blake tells his Navi while selecting a sub folder with a list of chips.

"Axis… we're not finished yet!" Zero shouts at the dark red Navi as the wound in his stomach begins to heal.

Axis leans forward as his image becomes a blur, showing his obvious speed. Just as the wound closes Axis is attacking Zero with lightning fast jabs. Without even clenching his fists Axis does a serious amount of damage to Zero. The light red Navi falls to the ground as he attempts to materialize his pistol in his left hand. Suddenly Axis stomps down on Zero's arm as the pistol fades away. Zero snaps his head to Axis before kicking the Navi in the face, cracking his own boot. As Zero becomes shocked Axis hurls him into the air in an instant, slamming him back into the ground the next moment.

"What can we do!? Axis… he's too strong now!" Blake shouts as he shakes his PET.

"I'm not… giving up… on you Blake!" Zero struggles to speak as data begins to leak out of his mouth.

"Zero…?" asks Blake while looking at his Navi.

"We made… a promise! To defeat Sigma… and clear your name!" Zero continues as he slowly stands to his feet with his armor cracking at the same time.

"Zero…" Blake mutters as he gets a serious look on his face.

"We can't stop… not here! We will… we will…" Zero starts as Blake takes a deep breath.

_**That's right… we made a promise when we first met. We made a promise to defeat the one who took my father away… the one who took the Maverick name and stomped all over it… we will…**_

"We will defeat Sigma!" the two of them shout at the same time.

Suddenly the blue gem on Zero's forehead glows brightly as he looks towards Axis, who lowers his head a bit. His image becomes a blur again as he punches towards Zero again. With a sudden display of speed Zero spins around, slamming the back side of his right hand on Axis' face. The dark red Navi staggers back a bit as data begins to leak out of his faceplate.

"Now it's our turn!" Blake and Zero shout as the light red Navi rushes forward in a blur of speed.

Axis disappears as Zero appears where he was standing. The hero fades out of view as the background begins to explode from their furious clashes. Zero appears behind Axis as he spins in the air, bringing his left boot to the back of the dark red Navi's neck. Axis disappears only to appear before Zero while jabbing forward with his left hand. Zero blocks the attack with both arms as his armor breaks off from the force of the attack. The two of them glare at each other for a moment before they rush towards each other, engaging in a fist lock. The ground cracks underneath them from the force of the lock as the two continue to overpower the other. Axis suddenly disappears as Zero staggers forward a bit, receiving a blast of lightning from behind. Smoke rises from his back as he turns around to see Axis standing there with his spikes extended.

"Here it comes Zero!" Blake shouts as Zero's form changes to a black form. "Recoil Rods, downloaded!" he adds as Zero's weapons form over his arms faster than usual.

Axis leaps into the air as Zero does the same thing. The two of them begin to engage in a lightning fast duel with their weapons. As they hit the ground they leap backwards, regaining their stances. Zero's image becomes blurred again as Axis does the same. A trail combines of cyber dust and the actual ground is left behind them as they run right for each other. Right as they clash with each other the ground crumbles underneath them, creating a crater. Zero jabs forward with his left arm as Axis counters with his right. Axis flips backwards as Zero side steps to avoid the attack. Axis leaps into the air before Zero's image becomes a blur yet again. A trail of dust can be seen running circles around the inside of the crater. Zero then jumps at Axis with both of his arms glowing at the moment. Axis turns around just in time to see Zero piercing through his stomach armor with the recoil rods. Zero slams him into the ground as the dark red Navi grabs the recoil rods as Zero pushes down ever harder, forcing Axis to let go of the rods.

"You've tried to kill Blake and his friends for the last time Axis! I will delete you!" Zero shouts at him as Axis looks towards him. Zero then pulls his rods out of Axis' body before thrusting them into his head.

"F-Finally…" Axis mutters as the word catches Zero's attention. Axis' particles begin to float away as Zero watches them.

"You're not going to absorb his data?" asks Blake.

"I don't want his kind of power." Zero replies as the blue gem on his head slowly stops glowing.

"Alright Victor! I bet your Navi! You better hold up your end!" Blake shouts.

"I will hold true to my word Blake, do not worry." Victor replies as Faith can feel the ropes loosen around her. She rushes to throw them off of her before jumping towards Blake while crying.

"Blake!" she shouts as he catches her, feeling a bit tired for some reason.

"Did he hurt you? How did he catch you in the first place?" asks Blake before a shadow appears behind them.

"Like this!" Victor shouts as he grabs Faith and pushes Blake over at the same time.

"Sigma!" shouts Blake as he leaps to his feet.

"So what will you do?" asks Victor as he purposely reveals that he is holding a needle right above her neck. He is wearing a brown cloak at the moment that is covering even his feet.

"Blake… help me!" screams Faith as Blake starts to run towards them.

"I wouldn't do that!" Victor shouts at him as he moves the needle even closer.

"What now!? I beat your Navi and played your game! What do you want from me!?" Blake screams at him as Victor smiles.

"Ah… another question. Remember the night you asked me questions at the school? I liked that little game… oh your facial reaction were the best! I have a question for you now, Blake." Victor speaks as he tightens his grip on Faith.

"What is it Sigma?" Blake questions as Victor smiles even more.

"What will you do?" he asks before pushing the needle into Faith's neck. Blake's eyes open wide as Victor throws Faith towards Blake.

"I don't feel… I feel strange Blake! Help me!" she tells him before she starts to cough.

"Faith!!" Blake yells as he looks towards Victor.

"Ah… there is another look that I will remember young Maverick! The girl has only one day to live! Make the most of it!" Victor tells him as he begins to laugh.

Suddenly a blast hits Victor in the left shoulder as he falls to the ground without moving. Jacob jumps in front of them fused with Commander as his sniper rifle disappears. Two gun blades appear in his hands as he runs towards Victor who is still not moving. Jacob kicks the body over to see that it does not look like Victor anymore, but a robot.

"Faith! Can you hear me!? Faith!" Blake shouts to her as he holds her in his arms.

"Who… is there?" she asks as her body goes limp in his arms.

"No… all because of me! FAITH!!" Blake screams at the top of his lungs.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**End of Scene 1**

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**Author's Note: Sorry for the cliffhanger folks! The next two scenes will be full of action, so if you have been waiting for action packed scenes then stay tuned!**

**Also, I would like to state right now, that there will not be any other Rockman Series in this story. Meaning there will not be anyone from the X Series, or the Megaman Zero Series, or any of the other Rockman Series. Zero is the only one who is from the Megaman Zero games. I will not be using any of the Guardian's or even Omega. I am sorry if that disappointed any of the readers, but I have seen so many EXE stories that involve Zero at some point or another fighting the Guardians from the Megaman Zero series. I don't really care to follow trends...**

**And no, I am not saying the EXE stories that have Zero fighting against the Guardians are bad or horrible, merely over used as an idea.  
**


	14. ZNC5 Scene 2: Race Against Time

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 5: Outbreak**

**Scene 2: Race Against Time**

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**Blake sits in a white room with Faith in a bed next to him. Her skin shows signs of the virus slowly creeping through her systems. The veins in Faith's arms are a dark blue color with red in the middle. Blake looks away from her as Jacob walks in with Adam, trying to hide their sorrowful faces. Blake leans back in the seat he is in as they walk closer.

"Blake, Adam has good and bad news for us." Jacob starts the conversation.

"I'd say tell me the bad news first, but then I'd sound cliché." Blake replies as Adam sighs to himself.

"The virus inside of her body systems is slowly spreading. In less than twenty two hours her body will not be able to recover from the virus… she'll die for sure." Adam tells him as Blake looks at him.

"Are you saying there is hope for her?" questions Blake as he raises his right eye brow.

"Actually yes, there is hope for her. You see I have been following the Sigma Viruses very closely and all of them have had one thing in common, a microscopic machine." Adam explains as Jacob crosses his arms.

"What? You mean to tell me that the Sigma Virus is nothing but a bunch of machines?" asks Jacob.

"Correct. So far these machines cannot be stopped as we have not been able find a way to halt their functions inside of the human body. We have even tried to create a small electro magnetic pulse to disable the nano machines. Sadly the machines move to fast to be affected by the EMP in time." Adam explains as Blake stands to his feet.

"With all due respect Adam, get to your point." Blake tells him as Adam pushes his glasses up with his middle finger.

"My apologies. The virus inside of Faith is moving slow enough to be stopped by the EMP. However, it has to be my own customized EMP generator." Adam tells them.

"That's great to hear! Go get one from your lab!" Jacob says as Blake looks towards Adam.

"Sadly… I do not have it in my lab at the moment." Adam replies with a lower tone.

"Why is that!?" Jacob asks as he gets a shocked look on his face.

"You see before I was here helping Blake with his own virus problem, I was in the city at my house working on my customized generator. It is still there in my basement, lying on the table." Adam tells them as Blake shakes his head.

"It seems like everything is my fault… okay, I'll go get it." Blake tells them as Jacob shakes his head.

"No way Blake. I'll go get the generator, you can stay here with Faith." Jacob tells him before turning around to walk away. Suddenly Blake grabs him by his left arm and slams him into the wall next to the door.

"I'm going to go with you and get the generator and that is final! Faith could die because of me! I'm going to go with you!" Blake tells him as Jacob struggles to free himself. Blake releases him as Jacob smirks towards him after turning around to face him.

"If you're going to go with me then you will follow my orders." Jacob returns as Blake shakes his head.

"We're wasting time here, let's go." he tells him as he walks out of the room.

"Please keep an eye on her for us Adam." Jacob says to the scientist as he follows after Blake.

_**I was not going to just sit there beside Faith and feel helpless… never! There was nothing that was going to change my mind about this!**_

"Let's go Blake, the jet is waiting for us." Jacob tells him as he runs out of the exit of the building.

_**This was tempting.**_

Blake rushes to get inside of the jet, quickly putting on his helmet that Jacob hands him. The silver colored jet rises into the air before flying towards the city. Blake lets out a sigh as the jet picks up speed, quickly pushing him back in his seat. As they near the city minutes later a beeping noise begins to go off as the pilot looks over his systems.

"Hang on guys! There is a missile on our tail!" the pilot shouts to them as Jacob and Blake look at each other.

_**Huzzah.**_

The pilot rolls to the left as the missile instantly follows close behind. The pilot banks to the right as the missile is still behind them, quickly closing the gap. The pilot flies straight up into the sky as the missile climbs with them. The pilot releases a group of flares as the missile actually dodges them. The pilot looks behind to see that the missile is still there, stressing him out. He flies back down towards the sea as the missile continues to close in. At the last moment of diving towards the sea the pilot pulls back on his control stick as the jet kicks up water, engulfing the missile. The pilot gives a thumbs up before the missile flies out of the rising water.

"I really hate missiles!" the pilot shouts as the missile contacts the back side of the jet.

"We're going down!" shouts Jacob as the pilot struggles to stabilize the jets fall.

"Jacob!" Commander shouts as Jacob inserts a chip into his PET. The pilot manages eject from the jet as it crashes near the city in the shallow water. Jacob is flying through the air while fused with Commander. Blake is holding onto his back as they slowly fall to the city beach.

"How are you flying?" asks Blake.

"I'm using an extremely old and rare chip that a chip collector gave me. It's called air shoes." replies Jacob as they touchdown on land. The pilot runs up to them as Commander's form vanishes, leaving only his PET on his wrist.

"You two go ahead with the mission, I will stay here and call for a pick up team!" he tells them as Blake and Jacob nod towards each other. The two of them run off as the pilot looks towards his jet slowly being washes away with the tide.

"Man… that was my baby…" he mutters to himself as he lowers his head.

"Why is it that we are running our butts off to get to Adam's house… and you can't use your cross fusion to help us go faster?" asks Blake as they run through a small playground on the beach.

"I have to maintain a level of security. Besides, Adam's place is not that far from here on foot." replies Jacob as they leave the beach and enter the streets of the city.

As they run through the streets they can see that for some reason there is a traffic jam. Jacob leads the way as Blake follows close behind him, showing no signs of slowing down. Suddenly an explosion catches their attention as well as everyone else. Down the street is a large home with a black gate all around it. Smoke is rising out of the house on the third floor on the right side.

"This is not good!" Jacob shouts.

"Why?" asks Blake.

"That house belongs to Adam! Enigma must have beaten us there!" replies Jacob as Blake rushes past him. "Whoa…" adds Jacob as Blake leaps across a car in the street.

Blake then lands on a car going the other direction before jumping on to another car going towards the house. It stops suddenly as Blake flies through the air and over the black gate. Jacob stands there in shock before following after him. Blake takes notice to a few men guarding the front doors, wearing the now standard brown cloak for Enigma followers. They rush towards him a bit faster than Blake expects, but slides under one of them. He turns around to deliver a kick to the back of the one he slid under. The man falls face forward to the ground as the other two run around the man. They pull out daggers before they begin to slash towards Blake. One connects with his left arm as he uppercuts the attacker, sending him flying backwards. The last man grabs him from behind and begins to squeeze. Jacob then tackles the man from the left side as Blake finds himself facing the man he kicked from before. Jacob runs at his foe before stopping short to spin around and kick him in the face. Blake punches his enemy in the stomach as he quickly jabs his elbow upwards into the mans chin. Both men fall to the ground at the same time as Blake and Jacob look at each other for a moment.

"I didn't know you could fight outside of a net battle." Blake comments.

"I didn't know you could leap around like that in the street." returns Jacob as they smirk towards each other. Jacob and Blake kick down the door to the house as a man in a black skin tight suit wearing goggles walks up a set of stairs leading to the basement.

"Ahh… more guests? My men will entertain you while I take my leave." the man speaks as five cloaked men run up from behind him. The man in the black suit calmly walks up the set of stairs beside them.

"Great… Robin Hood and his merry men." states Blake as Jacob runs forward, jumping into the air.

He kicks one of the men before spinning around to kick another before landing on the ground. Blake then runs forward as well, tackling a man. This pushes the man into two more as they crash into the wall behind with a sword falling to the ground. Blake's right arm is cut from behind as he turns around to see a man with a bloody dagger in his left hand. Blake looks to his right arm to see his blood dripping to the floor. Jacob suddenly punches the man from the side as Blake holds his arm firmly. The three men get up from the wall and surround Blake and Jacob, mocking them the entire time. Both Blake and Jacob run forward at the same time before kicking at one of the targets. The last man pulls out a gun quickly before taking aim at Blake. He fires a shot as Jacob rushes in front of Blake and deflects the bullet with a sword that fell to the ground from before. The man takes aim again as Jacob throws the sword at the man, pinning him against the wall from the shoulder. The man screams out in pain as he drops the weapon from his hand.

"Let's go!" Blake shouts as he runs up the stairs.

"Right behind you!" replies Jacob while chasing after him. They enter a hallway with the man standing near a destroyed section of the house down the hallway. He is carrying a black briefcase with his left hand.

"Stop right there!" shouts Jacob as the man turns around, this time without the goggles on.

"Ahh… you won the fight I see. Congratulations are in order I suppose." the man says to them while stroking his chin. The man has green eyes with a thin looking mustache.

"What's in the briefcase!?" Blake asks him as the man begins to stroke his mustache.

"This? Oh this is the EMP generator for the girl…" he replies as Blake's eyes open wide. "Oh what was her name? Faith was it?" the man asks as Blake runs forward.

"Blake!" Jacob calls after him as the man in the suit smirks. He leaps backwards as Blake reaches him.

"We'll settle this later on boy. For now your girl will die." the man tells Blake as he lands on a pile of cushions below. A group of cloaked men pick him up and rush him into a sports car.

"Up yours!" Blake shouts as he jumps down to the pile of cushions. Jacob follows after as the black sports car drives off.

"That looked like a Corvette! That means…" Jacob starts as he runs towards the garage.

"What are we going to do now!? They have the generator!" Blake shouts as he punches the wall behind him. He can see the blood still running from his arm.

"Blake! Over here quickly!" Jacob calls to him as Blake rushes into the garage.

"What is it?" he asks as he takes notice to Jacob trying to push an extremely large metal container.

"Help me push this out of the way! We still have hope to catch them!" Jacob tells him as Blake rushes over to him and pushes with him. Jacob instantly takes notice of the condition of Blake right arm as they finally push the container out of the way. Blake takes notice to a small tunnel leading to a smoke grey car.

"Is this Adam's?" asks Blake as he runs over to it.

"No, it's mine. I asked Adam about a month ago to repair it for me and add a few custom features for me. Come on let's go! I haven't driven this Lambo in a while…" Jacob says as he opens the driver side. Blake opens the passenger side as he takes notice to Jacob placing a plastic cover over his seat.

"What are you doing?" asks Blake as he sits down.

"No bleeding on the new interior." Jacob replies as he starts the car by putting his finger on a small panel next to the wheel. The car starts as the engine begins to roar, showing Blake that he is in for a trip.

"I'm not so sure…" "Let's go!" Jacob interrupts as the car bolts out of the tunnel and out of the garage. The gates begin to close as a couple cloaked men stand at the gate.

"The gate it closing!" Blake shouts.

"I know!" returns Jacob as he shifts gears with his right hand, and presses a button with his left on the wheel. The car boosts forward with a trail of blue flames coming out of the back. A piece of armor suddenly forms over the front of the car as they ram through the closing gate. The men in the cloaked quickly throw their cloaks off due to the flames catching them on fire. They begin to stomp on their cloaks and shake their fists at Jacob and Blake as they race down the streets.

_**This guy really is James Bond.**_

"What now?" asks Blake as he holds on for his life.

"The car that they stole was actually Adam's car. His car has a tracking device inside of it and so does mine. Adam and myself have been fans of cars for a very long time, so we placed tracking devices in our cars just in case one of them was stolen so we could find it. To help each other out in simple terms." Jacob replies as a small screen rises out of the black dashboard. Several screens flip over where the stereo system is and below it.

"Wow…" Blake says in awe as the glove compartment slides open with a tray sliding out. On the tray is a first aid kit.

"Fix yourself up." speaks Jacob as he turns down a street with no cars on it at all. A building opens up ahead of them. As they drive into the building they begin to move downwards.

"Where are we going?" asks Blake as he cleans his wound.

"This is a secret tunnel that only the Officials know about. Since they have Adam's car, they no doubt know about this area as well since the cars are programmed with the tunnel location inside of them." Jacob replies as he turns to the left before a red dot begins to blink ahead of them. "And there they are." Jacob adds as both of them look ahead to see the Corvette in front of them.

"Ahh… this tunnel is making things so easy for us." the man in the suit says while drinking out of a fancy glass cup of wine.

"Sir! They've found us!" the driver shouts as the man in the suit turns around to see Jacob's Lamborghini Murcielago quickly catching up to them.

"Ahh… let them have it." the man commands as he sips from his glass, tapping on the briefcase at the same time. Two cloaked men stick their bodies halfway out of the Corvette, one on each side. The two of them take aim with P90's as Blake begins to freak out. They open fire as Jacob continues to accelerate. The bullets bounce off of the car like they were small bouncing balls.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to put a scratch on my car!" Jacob shouts at them as the top to the Corvette slides back, showing the backside of the man in the suit. They make a turn to the right as Jacob follows close behind in the dim lighted tunnel. The man stands to his feet while finishing his glass cup of wine. He then tosses it towards Jacob and Blake before picking up a rocket launcher.

"That might put a large scratch on your car!" Blake shouts as Jacob quickly flips a switch behind his wheel.

"Ahh… goodbye gentlemen." the man speaks as he fires the rocket. As the rocket nears Jacob's car, the Lamborghini instantly moves to the right. The rocket flies past them before hitting the ground behind.

"What was that!?" both the man in the suit and Blake shout.

"I asked Adam to install a set of side boosters for such an occasion. Thankfully this tunnel is big enough for that to happen." Jacob returns as he flips the switch again.

"Take them out!" the man in the suit shouts at his men as they grab a set of grenade launchers. Jacob tosses Blake a silver pistol suddenly as he shifts gears again.

"Aim for their tires!" he tells him as Blake nods his head. The men on the Corvette fire at Jacob as he drives around the explosions, avoiding each and every round.

"Ahh… crap." the man in the suit mutters to himself as he watches them drive up next to them. Blake aims with the pistol and shoots out their back left tire. Jacob slows down as the Corvette begins to swerve out of control. Finally it flips over as the men in the cloaks as well as the man in the suit are thrown from the car. The Corvette crashes into the wall past them as Jacob pulls up next to the man in the suit as he staggers to his feet.

"This entire time you carried the EMP generator with you. Not once did you try to use it against us. Idiot…" Jacob speaks to the man before punching him in the face. The man flies back against the wall as Jacob picks up the briefcase.

"Let's go!" Blake says to him as Jacob nods his head in agreement. They get back into the car before driving away.

"Ahh… my face hurts…" the man in the suit says to himself before passing out.

"This is Jacob of the Officials. I have recovered the EMP generator and I request a fast flight back to HQ." Jacob speaks while in the car as Blake looks around.

"Uh… what are you talking to?" asks Blake as a screen flips over below the stereo system.

"This is Official HQ. We acknowledge your request Jacob, please be at the destination point marked on your GPS." a woman with blue hair and blue eyes replies on the screen as it goes black. Jacob looks to the screen on the dashboard as a blue mark appears on it.

"Good, we'll be back in no time." Jacob says as he shifts gears again. Later that day Blake bursts through the doors of Faith's room where Adam is standing over her with a clipboard. The two of them rush to his lab where Jacob is opening the briefcase at the moment.

"This is good. The generator is not damaged at all, let's hurry to Faith! She does not have much time left!" Adam tells them as they follow him.

_**I want her to survive… I don't want her to die… I want her father to be able to hold her again, to say that he loves her again… I don't want anyone to go through that pain, not if I can help it. Adam was able to cure Faith of the virus inside of her systems. She's going to fully recover by the end of the week… but I'm not done yet. She was put in danger because Sigma was after me… he knew this entire time that we were growing closer together. He knew…**_

"Blake!" Jacob calls after him as Blake is walking towards a jet.

"What?" he asks as Jacob runs up to him and grabs his left arm.

"You're not going where I think you're going are you?" asks Jacob as Blake gives him an extremely angry look.

"I'm going to finish this. Sigma was attacking me through this the entire time… I need to pay a little visit to say thank you." replies Blake as he pulls away from Jacob.

"I'm not going to let you do that!" Jacob returns as he pulls Blake back. Suddenly Blake turns around to punch Jacob in the face. He flies back and hit's the ground as Blake runs towards the jet and jumps inside of it. As Jacob stands to his feet he rubs his face on the right side before looking at his PET.

"Commander, we're going to have to pull some strings for this one." he tells his Navi.

"Yes sir." replies Commander.

Hours later Blake walks up to a location in the forest with a mountain in the back behind it. He looks around to see that some of the trees are showing metal on the inside. It's dark outside and he can hear animals howling. He shakes his head before walking towards the entrance to the mountain. He can see the mountain looks normal, but he knows that there is a base inside of it. As he walks in the cave of the mountain it quickly turns into a red room with a large metal door in front of him. In the middle of the room is a computer console.

"It took you long enough to get here." Jacob speaks up from beside the door. He walks out of the shadows as Blake gets a curious look to his face.

"Why are you here?" he asks as he takes notice to the bruise on his face.

"You're here to kill Sigma… I know it." Jacob returns as Blake nods his head.

"It would be the best action for everyone. If he dies, the virus will stop." Blake tells him as Jacob shakes his head.

"You're wrong. The virus is more than one person. If Sigma was to die, another person will take up his mantle. If that person were to die then another would take his place. The cycle does not stop because of a single man dying." Jacob tells him as Blake scoffs at his explanation.

"I don't care about any of that! That man has already caused so much pain for others… for me! I will kill him tonight!" Blake shouts as Jacob steps in front of the door.

"Killing out of revenge is not the way Blake… please understand this." Jacob tells him as Blake shakes his head.

"Get out of my way Jacob!" shouts Blake.

"No. If you're going to kill Sigma, then you will go through me first." replies Jacob as he aims his PET towards the computer in the middle of the room. "Plug in Commander!" he adds as a red beam shoots to the console.

"So be it!" Blake shouts as he aims towards the console. "Plug in Zero!" he also adds as Zero is sent into the cyber world. The two Navi's materialize in front of each other as they stare at each other.

"I told you before, that if you were to ever stand in my way… I would delete you." Commander says to Zero as the light red Navi chuckles to himself.

"I remember telling you to try it." returns Zero as they both get into a fighting position.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**End of Scene 2**


	15. ZNC5 Scene 3: Duel

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 5: Outbreak**

**Scene 3: Duel**

**

* * *

**Zero and Commander dash forward in an instant as they engage in a fist lock. Commander begins to overpower him as Zero releases the lock. Commander leaps backwards while his gun blades materialize. Zero glances at his left knee to see that Commander slightly cut him as the weapons formed. Zero's saber materializes in his right hand as Command holds his weapons down in a calm position. Suddenly the white Navi rushes forward in an amazing display of speed. He attacks as Zero blocks, throwing him back from the force. Commander appears beside him with energy tonfas on his arms, rapidly attacking him. Zero is pinned against the ground as Commander appears above him with a large staff in his two hands. Zero rolls out of the way as Commander slams into the ground and creates a shockwave that throws Zero back again.

"You're going to lose." Jacob tells Blake as he crosses his arms.

"Shut up! We're not done yet!" Blake replies as he scrolls through the folder with battle chips.

"Yes, you are. You do not have the years of experience that Commander and I have. This battle will be ours, then you can go back to Faith." Jacob tells him as Blake begins to grit his teeth.

Zero avoids one of Commanders attacks by grabbing the staff and flipping over it, swiftly kicking Commander in the face. The white Navi staggers back a bit as Zero slashes towards him with his saber. Commander instantly blocks with the staff as Zero's saber slices through it. Commander has a look of shock on his face as Zero continues his attack by slashing directly across Commander's chest. He looks to his chest plate to see the cut on his armor.

"We may not have the years of experience that you two have, but we're strong all on our own!" Blake tells Jacob as he glares at him.

"Commander, let's give this everything we have now. No holding back anymore." Jacob tells his Navi as he holds up his PET in front of him.

_**He has been holding back!?**_

Commander disappears as a giant cannon falls in front of Zero. Commander suddenly appears behind Zero and grabs him, rushing him towards the cannon. Zero breaks free of his hold as Commander flips over him and grabs the cannon, slamming it into Zero. The cannon disappears as Zero struggles to stand to his feet. Commander spins around before kicking Zero in the face, forcing him to lose his grip on the saber in his right hand. He slides along the ground as Commander runs towards him with his gun blades forming again. Zero stands to his feet as Commander leaps towards him while slashing with his left blade, instantly taking aim with his right. Zero blocks the first attack with his bare arms as the rounds from the second gun blade hits him directly. Zero falls to the ground again as Commander puts his left boot on Zero's head.

"Stay down before I delete you." Commander tells him as he pushes down with his foot.

"Zero!" shouts Blake as he moves his finger over to a blue armor.

Zero's form changes right under Commander as he is thrown back. Zero then stands to his feet as his body heals a little bit. His entire body is now covered in a blue armor, his pistol materializes in his right hand as he takes aim at Commander. The white Navi's gun blades disappear as a pair of high tech machine guns materialize in his hands. In the middle of the gun a blue glow can be seen as Commander begins to fire blue energy shots at Zero. The now blue Zero rolls out of the way before a sudden charged blast is fired from the pistol. Commander moves out of the way as the shockwave from the blast knocks Commander back. Zero runs towards him as Commander's guns vanish only to be replaced with a smaller version of the large cannon from before. He takes aim with it before firing a massive blast at Zero. The blue Navi fires a charged blast as the two attacks connect. Both Navi's fly back as a bright light blinds both of them. As the light dies down Zero and Commander walk towards each other. Zero is now green while Commander is holding a sniper rifle in his arms.

"Surrender Zero, you cannot win against us." Commander tells his foe as he takes aim.

"I'm not going to give up Commander. Not as long as Blake still has the will to fight back!" returns Zero as his saber materializes in his right hand again.

"A pity." Commander speaks as he fires the sniper rifle.

Zero blocks the attack with his saber as Commander appears beside him with his gun blades again, slashing wildly. Zero then slashes towards Commander as a shockwave is shot from the sabers tip. Commander blocks the attack as his gun blades are deleted, which shocks Commander even further. The attack throws him back as he flips through the air to regain his balance. Zero walks towards him with his saber flicking back and forth before standing in front of him, holding his saber towards Commander.

"You want a sword fight? Fine, but I will warn you." Jacob says as a laser blade appears in Commander's right hand while a green energy shield extends from his left wrist in the shape of a circle. "Commander is known for his swords play… that is why he was called the White Knight at the N-1 Grand Prix!" Jacob finishes as Commander charges towards Zero.

"Don't let him beat you Zero! Give this battle all you've got!" Blake shouts to his Navi.

Zero slashes up as Commander twirls around to attack from the side. Zero's form changes to his normal color as he blocks the attack, punching Commander in the face with his left fist. Commander then spins around before kicking Zero away with his right foot. The White Knight chases after him before dashing forward, leaving a mark on the cyber ground behind him. Zero regains his stance as Commander rams him with the energy shield, shocking Zero a bit. The red Navi then leaps back as his foe rushes towards him again, this time rapidly slashing towards him. Zero barely blocks the attacks as Commander thrusts forward suddenly, forcing Zero to leap back again. Commander takes one step back before moving his sword to his side, waiting for the next attack. Zero then rushes forward as Commander watches him closely, hoping for a chance to end this fight. The red Navi slashes towards him as Commander thrusts forward again. This time Zero completely disappears from view as Commander stands there in shock. He feels a presence behind him as he turns to see Zero slashing towards him. Commander blocks with his shield before pushing forward with it, forcing Zero to stagger back a bit.

"Commander, do it." Jacob tells his Navi.

"Yes sir!" replies Commander as he leaps back quite a distance.

"Light Armory, Medium Armory and Heavy Armory! Program advance!" shouts Jacob as a bright light comes from Commander.

"Full Armory!" Jacob and Commander shout at the same time.

_**Dang it.**_

"Area Steal." Jacob speaks as Commander vanishes from sight.

Zero is shocked by this as Commander appears in front of him already attacking with his gun blades. Zero blocks the attack as Commander appears on his left side attacking with a large staff. Zero rolls out of the way as Commander appears behind him firing a full clip of energy rounds into his backside. Zero cries out in pain as Commander vanishes again, this time appearing high above him with an extremely large cannon falling down with him. He fires the cannon as Zero looks up towards the beam rushes towards him. As the blast hits Blake falls to the ground while grabbing his chest. Jacob takes instant notice to this as Commander appears in front of Zero with his hands glowing with a blue light. Zero is motionless as Commander manages a smirk across his face. His smirk quickly goes away as Zero slowly sits up with his armor breaking off of him. He stands to his feet as Blake does the same thing, both of them breathing heavily. Zero looks to Commander as the white Navi takes notice to the glowing blue gem on his forehead.

"Zero… are you okay?" asks Blake while looking at his PET.

"I'm… receiving power from somewhere… my body feels… stronger. I feel stronger than before!" Zero shouts as a beam of light shoots from his body and into the cyber sky. Commander looks away as the light dies down, finally Commander looks towards the light to see Zero standing there with his armor completely restored.

"What am I looking at Jacob?" asks Commander while getting into a fighting stance.

"You're looking at their strength… their power that comes from their own bond. This is their determination… full synchro…" replies Jacob as Blake returns to his normal stance.

"Zero… I haven't been a very good operator to you. I've never liked Net Navi's… never. I'm sorry Zero… I have ignored you most of the time because of that dislike. Please forgive me…" Blake tells his Navi as Zero actually smiles at him.

"You're a good kid Blake. Playing the regretful role does not suit you at all. I'm not use to being someone's Net Navi, so we're even. We can talk about it later, but right now we have a promise to fulfill to each other!" replies Zero as Blake smiles back at him.

"You're right! Beyond this door is the man that brought me all of this hell and to others as well! You're not going to stand in our way Jacob!" Blake shouts at him.

"Then show me." returns Jacob as Commander prepares.

Without moving Zero vanishes from sight as Commander searches for him. The red Navi appears in front of him while punching him in the face. He disappears before appearing behind him in blue armor with his pistol aiming at Commander's back. The white Navi turns around just as Zero fires a charged blast. The white Navi blocks the attack as Zero appears to his left in a white armor, quickly rising into the air with his saber in hand, throwing Commander to his right. Zero appears above him in a black armor with his recoil rods already charged. He fires two balls of energy towards Commander as the balls collide with each other and explode, causing a rain of energy on Commander. The white Navi activates his shield again in hopes of blocking most of the raining energy. Zero appears beside him in green armor with a hammer in each hand, instantly slamming his two heavy weapons into Commander's shield. The force behind the attack causes a large crater underneath the white Navi. He staggers back a bit as Zero appears in front of him in his normal armor with his saber in his right hand.

"You… you're stronger than I thought." Commander speaks to him as he regains his posture.

"Mission…" Zero starts before rushing forward, slashing through Commander before coming to a sliding stop behind him. "Complete." finishes Zero as Commander is forced to log out.

"Let's go Zero." Blake says to his Navi as he looks to Jacob. Without a word Jacob allows Blake to pass by him and open the large doors.

"He's gotten better." Jacob mutters to himself as he puts his hand in his leather jacket and walks out of the room.

Blake finds himself in a long dark hallway with flames lit from side to side. He can see a blue glowing light at the end of the hallway with a shadow moving back and forth. He looks around the hallway to see pictures of the cities across the world. One reads ACDC as another reads Yumland. He continues to walk down the long hallway before the lights turn off. He finally reaches the end as Victor stands above him on a platform waiting for him, wearing his usual outfit.

"Hello Blake. What an honor for you to come here to my personal base." he speaks as he walks up to a glass container holding yellow liquids.

"You know what I'm here for." replies Blake as he looks around the room. The entire room is full of the same liquid in the container next to Victor.

"How will you do such a thing? The last time you and I had a hand to hand fight… well I mopped the floor with you." Victor says with a smile.

"I'll do it somehow!" Blake returns as he runs up a set of stairs next to Victor.

The bald man smiles as Blake leaps towards him, swinging his fists back and forth. Victor blocks the attacks with his hands as Blake jumps to kick him in the face. Victor grabs his right leg before throwing him back. Blake slides along the platform as Victor walks over to him while pulling his sleeves back, smiling the entire time. Blake leaps to his feet before kicking Victor's feet out from underneath him. Blake then jumps on Victor and begins to punch him in the face. The bald man starts to laugh as he pushes Blake off of him, quickly grabbing his shirt and throwing him to the ground below him. Blake hit's the floor hard as Victor wipes a bit of blood from his mouth.

"Not bad kid, but not good enough." Victor tells him while laughing.

"Stop laughing! You have no right to be happy!" Blake shouts.

"You shouldn't talk to your elder like that. After all if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be alive right now." Victor speaks with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" questions Blake as he stands to his feet while holding his left arm.

"I was the one that introduced your mother to your father in college! I have so many pictures and memories of back then!" Victor tells him while taking off his lab coat.

"None of that matters now!" Blake returns.

"I have to thank you Blake Maverick. Since I have been found out to be the leader of Enigma, I have had the time for my own personal projects. This is the result!" Victor says as he rips off his clothes, revealing nothing but metal underneath.

He has a chest plate that is completely silver as is the rest of his body. Suddenly a green and blue color goes throughout his body as his shoulder pads extend outwards. His knee guards extend upwards as two spikes stick out of his back upwards. Victor then grabs crosses his arms as a red cape shoots out of his back. A large smile goes across his face as Blake takes a few steps back in shock.

"What… have you done to yourself!?" asks Blake.

"I have improved my body! I am no longer a human with weak limitations! I will create a new world with my own technology, my own creations… my own image! I am Sigma!" he replies while clenching his right fist in front of him.

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to let you leave this mountain alive!" Blake shouts at him.

"Would you like to see some pictures that I have of your father? Before I kill you, I want to see the look on your face." Sigma speaks as a screen appears next to him showing Blake's father tied to a chair.

"What is this?" asks Blake while watching the screen.

"This is what it looks like day to day with the virus." Sigma replies as Blake watches the screen. Suddenly it goes to another image as Blake takes a step back. On the screen shows his father in a corner with black and brown all over his body.

"Stop it…" Blake mutters as the screen changes again.

"This is what it looks like in the third day." Sigma speaks as the screen shows Blake's father still in the corner with his flesh rotting and exposing bones.

"I said stop it!" shouts Blake as he shakes his head back and forth.

"This is what it looks like on the final day!" Sigma continues as Blake screams at the top of his lungs.

"Sigma!!" yells Blake as he inserts the cross fusion chip into his PET.

Blake transforms in front of Sigma before leaping towards him, drawing his saber at the same time. Sigma draws his own slender looking saber as the two of them clash with each other. Blake suddenly overpowers his former teacher before kicking his feet into the air, sending Sigma flying backwards into one of the glass containers. Blake jumps off of the platform before firing a charged blast from his pistol directly at Sigma. His old teacher deflects the attack with his saber as Blake comes crashing down on his with his saber. The two of them leap out of the cloud of smoke and mist while attacking each other in the air. As they land both of them leap back before charging towards each other, engaging in a saber lock.

"You can't keep this up forever Blake! I know that you almost died the last time you fused! You're running out of time…" Sigma taunts him.

"As long as I take you with me… that will be enough!" Blake replies as Sigma laughs.

"After I kill you, I think I will go kill Faith. That one screams real nice you know…" Sigma returns.

"You're not going to lay one finger on her!" shouts Blake as the blue gem on his forehead begins to glow.

Blake pushes Sigma back against the wall before punching him in the face. From there he rises into the air which creates a distinct scar above and under his eyes. Sigma cries out in pain as his face begins to bleed. Blake then rushes forward before slicing off Sigma's right hand and then his left. Sigma kicks towards Blake who counters with his own kick, wasting no time in cutting off his left. He does the same with the other leg as Sigma begins to laugh.

"What is so funny now?" asks Blake as the blue gem on his forehead begins to blink.

"This mountain will explode the moment I stop breathing… and when that happens the Maverick Virus in this room will spread across the world… detention Blake." replies Sigma as his head falls to the side. The entire base begins to shake and tremble as Blake tries to make his way to the exit. He makes it halfway down the hallway before blacking out. Zero's form disappears from his body before returning to the PET.

"Blake! Blake please get up! Blake!!" Zero shouts at him as Blake. At that moment Jacob flies in fused with Commander and grabs Blake.

"Even after beating me and Commander, I still have to save your sorry butt." he says before flying back out of the hallway. As he clears the mountain base it explodes, releasing the virus into the air.

"What is that Jacob?" asks Commander as they look back towards the mountain with the yellow clouds of smoke rising out of it.

"Sigma's last threat." replies Jacob as he flies away.

* * *

**End of Chapter 5**


	16. ZNC6 Scene 1: Prodigal Son

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 6: New Enemy**

**Scene 1: Prodigal Son  
**

**

* * *

**"This is Leader two, calling leader one. I am in position and prepared to go in." speaks a man wearing an all black suit with a black face mask on and red goggles.

"Roger that Leader two. In five minutes move in." replies Leader one.

"Understood." returns Leader two and he looks around the area. Nothing but a lot with a decent amount of warehouses around him. He looks to the night sky to see the clouds moving across the moon. It is a bit chilly at the moment with a damp feeling. He shivers a bit as he watches for any signs of trouble.

"Blake." a voice comes from his PET as he brings his left arm up. Zero's image appears on the PET.

"You know that I have to maintain code names for security right? Also… Leader one will kill me if I don't." Blake replies as Zero crosses his arms.

"This seems pointless." says Zero as Blake lets out a sigh.

"Don't ruin the fun Zero." returns Blake as he looks at the timer on the PET. "Almost time to go in." he adds.

One minute passes by as Blake opens the warehouse door before slowly sneaking in. He finds a pair of barrels to hide behind in a dark corner as he adjusts a few things on his goggles. He looks around to see a large group of men in the middle of the room, all carrying machine guns and shotguns. He looks above him to see another black suited person sneaking in through the roof. Blake looks to the second floor to see a few well armed men walking around, a few of them with cigarettes in their mouths. Suddenly Leader one drops to the second floor as the men on that floor rush towards him.

"Here we go…" Blake mutters to himself as he rushes out from behind the barrels. The group of men in the middle look towards Leader one to open fire as Blake jumps in the middle of them in a fighting stance.

"Who is this punk suppose to be!?" one shouts as another walks closer to Blake.

"A badly dressed thief maybe?" he asks while laughing. The others share the laugh as Blake leaps into the air and slams his feet into the mans face, slamming him to the ground.

"Is this where I am suppose to audition for that hero show?" asks Blake smugly as he spins around to kick another in the face. "Or did I make a mistake again and run onto the biggest loser set?" he adds as the men are in a rage now.

_**Sometimes I think my mouth somewhat gets me into trouble at times.**_

Blake slides across the floor as the men take aim and fire their weapons at Blake. The black suited operator rolls out of the way before throwing a box lid at the group firing the weapons. A shotgun blast destroys the lid as Blake shakes his head, quickly running towards the man with the shotgun. He grabs the shotgun before pushing the front part of it down, causing the butt of the gun to hit the man in the chin. He staggers backwards in a serious amount of pain as Blake punches him in the stomach. A man grabs him from behind as Blake lets out another sigh.

"A bear hug again? Honestly, I never knew you cared so much." Blake tells him.

"Shut up kid! I'm going to crush you like a toothpick!" the man shouts.

_**A genius ladies and gentlemen.**_

"My head is much harder than yours." Blake tells him before hitting the mans face with the back of his head. He staggers back a bit as Blake spins around to deliver another spin kick. From above a man with a shotgun falls and crashes into the man. Blake looks up to see Leader one leaning against the rails of the second floor with his arms crossed.

"Are you finished yet?" asks Leader one.

"You just took out the last one." replies Blake as searchlights shine through the opening in the roof.

"Looks like the cages with wings has arrived, we better go get what we came here for." Leader one speaks as Blake nods his head in agreement. Moments later they walk through a pair of doors into a room that contains five large see through glass tubes. Blake is on the left with Leader one on the right.

"More of that virus… cleaning up Sigma's mess is taking longer than expected." Leader one says as he takes off his mask, revealing that it is Jacob under the mask.

"It's hard to believe that after a month… we are still cleaning up his mess." Blake returns as he takes off his own mask.

"The virus that was released after your fight with Sigma was the first air born virus from him. We did not know how to treat it… all of those people… thousands died…" Jacob says as he hangs his head.

"That's why we're taking out the remnants of Enigma, so we can avoid another outbreak like that." Blake tells him as he places his right hand on Jacob's lefts shoulder.

"We should report back to HQ." Jacob says before walking out of the room.

_**None of this should have happened… is this my fault… again? One month has passed… thousands of people died within two hours as the Sigma Virus spread through the air. Since then the Official Net Battlers have been working overtime to find the remains of Enigma. Many of the small groups that remain have a few glass tubes full of this virus… Victor must have been planning on making a move really soon if I hadn't of shown up. There is no way I can feel better about this…**_

Blake walks into the office of Stanley while rubbing his neck. Stanley is sitting down in his large chair with his cell phone to his right ear. Blake stands at the door while waiting for his boss to speak with him. Jacob walks in while drying his hair with a towel, letting out a sigh as he walks up to Blake. The two of them stand there talking to each other before Stanley throws his cell phone across the room. He then slams his fists down on the desk as Blake and Jacob look at Stanley before looking at each other again.

"Come closer you two." Stanley speaks as they slowly walk forward.

"If you don't mind me asking… what was that about sir?" asks Blake.

"That was my son on the phone… his name is William. He's rejecting the Official Net Battlers… again…" Stanley replies.

"Rejecting?" asks Blake as Jacob continues to dry his hair.

"Yes. Since he was a young boy he has hated this organization with such an intense hatred." Stanley speaks as he lets out a sigh.

"I never knew you had a son." Jacob speaks up as he rests his towel around his neck.

"Being the leader of the Official Net Battlers that I am, I know how to keep a secret or two." returns Stanley with a smirk on his face.

"Why not go out and have some of your men get him?" asks Blake as Jacob snaps his head towards him.

"That's a good idea Blake. I'm giving this task to you and Jacob. I'll send his information to Jacob's PET right away. Happy hunting." Stanley tells them with another smirk.

"I hate you." Jacob tells him as he slaps his towel on Blake's face.

_**It turns out that Stanley has in fact sent some of his men to find his son… a lot of men. They always return with bruises and broken bones. A lot of them come back with deleted Net Navi's as well. I guess this guy is a really strong guy as well as a skilled net battler. He hangs around casinos and small net battle tournaments, says the information on Jacob's PET.**_

Inside of the city ACDC, Blake and Jacob walk through the streets as a heavy rain beats down on them. The two of them walk around the streets in yellow plastic covers with a hood on each. The cars whiz past them as they stop at a corner, looking across the street at a tall and slender man wearing a black leather jacket zipped up halfway. Under the jacket is a black shirt. The man is wearing blue jean pants and black boots. He looks towards Blake and Jacob with his brown eyes, raising his left eye brow at them. He runs his fingers through his short brown hair before he suddenly takes off across the street.

"Follow him!" Jacob shouts as the two of them take off after this man.

"Is it him?" asks Blake as they dodge a car coming their way.

"Yeah it's him! That's William!" Jacob replies as the man they are chasing begins to pull away from them.

Blake runs ahead of Jacob suddenly as William turns his head to see him getting closer and closer. He looks ahead before smirking to himself, slowing down a bit as Blake nears him. Right as Blake is about to attempt to grab him William spins around to punch Blake. He connects as Blake flies back before Jacob catches him.

_**I'm not going to lie to you… that really really hurt.**_

"Are you okay?" questions Jacob as Blake's nose begins to bleed.

"Holy cow that guy has a mean right hook!" Blake replies as he spits out some blood from his mouth. He looks up to see William calmly walking away from them, as if he has already won the chase.

In a sudden burst Blake leaps forward to chase William again. Jacob runs behind him as the rain continues to fall. William turns around only to see Blake's fist coming at him. He dodges the punch as Blake brings his knee up to hit him in the stomach. William staggers back a bit while holding his stomach, smirking the entire time.

"Not bad kiddo, you're better than you look. Why are you chasing me?" he asks while crossing his arms.

"Your father wants to meet with you, that's all." Jacob speaks up.

"I figured as much. Do you know how many of his men I have beaten up for this same reason?" William asks as he looks to Blake.

"Sorry, I didn't catch the memo." returns Blake.

"You're just another tough guy who thinks he's strong enough to take me out. Listen kiddo, I'm a different breed of tough, don't get in my way. I'm not the bad guy in this picture" William tells him as he turns around to walk away.

"How about a net battle?" asks Jacob as William turns back around with his right eye brow raised.

"Are you sure that you want to go down that road? It will be a bumpy one." returns William.

"If you're so sure of yourself then you have nothing to lose right?" asks Blake while looking at his PET.

"Whatever, I'll take you both on, one at a time. Starting with the one that likes to charge in head first." William says as he points to Blake.

"Where is this going to take place? We can't just fight here on the sidewalk." Blake says as he looks around.

"Ah… that's the great thing about being in the city kiddo… there is technology all around us, even in a light post." he replies as he aims his pale green PET towards a light post in the distance.

"Can we really… do that?" asks Blake as Jacob lets out a sigh.

"No we can't, but playing by the rules is not going to win this fight. Go on, fight him on his own terms." Jacob replies while crossing his arms.

"Are you ready Zero?" asks Blake as William squints his eyes at Blake.

"So this is the kid that has Zero… that makes this fight much more interesting." William thinks to himself as a red beam shoots towards the light posts circuit board in the middle of the post. Blake does the same as the two Navi's begin to materialize in the cyber world. This cyber world is green with a black ground. Zero opens his eyes as he looks upon an extremely large Net Navi bending over to look at him.

_**Yeah… this might be an issue. This thing is like… the freaking Hulk but thinner.**_

The Net Navi is the same pale green color as William's PET. His entire body is covered in heavy looking metal armor, but also looks like it is a part of him. His chest looks like a standard box chest only twice the size as normal. Near the waist the stomach area curves inwards on the sides. On this Navi's back is a set of two small boosters, tucked away in the bottom middle of the torso. His arms are massive with a large silver rifle in his right hand and a small device on his left arm that is a silver color. His shoulder pads look bulky with the curved box look to them. Zero stands from this Navi's waist down, showing how tall this Navi is. This Navi's legs look as if his legs are inside of a second pair of armor from the knees down in a box form, but curved around the edges. His feet are flat on the ground as well as bigger than Zero's own hands. This Navi's head has a spike coming out of the top of the head and has a single green visor going across its eyes. He has no mouth as it is covered by armor His helmet looks like that of a swat team officer, but without the round part on the top of the helmet. On his back right side of his torso is a long barrel folded down attached to a large device. On his left is a smaller device that looks like it can open.

"My name is Onslaught, I will show you no mercy small Net Navi." the large Navi speaks in a deep, but calm voice.

"Right…" Zero replies as he prepares himself.

Onslaught takes aim with his large, but slender looking rifle before firing a round off. Zero is barely able to move out of the way of the yellow cylinder shot. Zero forms his pistol as Onslaught only chuckles to himself as he walks backwards, cracking the cyber ground beneath him. Zero takes a few steps back himself as his clenches his weapon even tighter. The two take aim at each other as they open fire. The air is suddenly filled with laser blasts as the two attempt to hit the other. Zero is hit by one of the blasts as before firing a charged shot at Onslaught, making him twitch a bit.

"I have an idea Zero, it's hammer time." Blake speaks to his Navi as he activates one of Zero's armors. Zero's form begins to glow as Onslaught tilts his head, chuckling at the same time.

"I thought we were here to fight, not look at the light show." William says as Onslaught's boosters flare up, thrusting him forward at an incredible speed.

"What…?" Jacob thinks to himself as he studies Onslaught's movements.

Zero leaps over Onslaught in white armor as two hammers form on his back. He takes hold of them as he lands behind Onslaught, who is turning around to face Zero at the moment. Zero runs at his foe before Onslaught fires another round from his rifle. Zero attempts to deflect it with his left hammer, but the shot melts the hammer away which shocks both Blake and Zero. The red Navi then leaps towards Onslaught before putting all of his force into a swing. He connects with Onslaught's right shoulder as the large Navi staggers back a bit. He then grabs Zero's hammer and pulls him away from it.

"Did you really think that this would do any real damage?" asks Onslaught as he snaps the hammer in half in his right hand.

_**He just snapped something that was extremely strong with just one hand. What is this thing made of!? Did you eat all of your fruits and vegetables or something!?**_

"Give up kiddo, you're not going to win this fight. You lost before you even started, as ironic as that sounds." William speaks up with a smirk across his face.

"What do you want to do Zero?" asks Blake as his Navi looks back at him.

"We can't win this fight Blake, but that is only my opinion." replies Zero while Onslaught rests his rifle on his right shoulder.

"Fine, we'll give up this fight." Blake tells William as Zero returns to his PET.

"Wow… I never expected you to actually stop the fight! Everyone else I battled with just continued until their Navi was deleted!" William comments as Blake walks over to Jacob.

"Can you beat him?" asks Blake.

"Watch me." returns Jacob as he aims at the light post.

"Here comes your next play toy Onslaught." William tells his Navi.

"Yes sir." returns Onslaught as Commander materializes in front of him. Onslaught takes a step back as William loses the smirk across his face.

"What's the matter William? Afraid of the number one net battler for the Officials?" asks Jacob as William clears his throat.

"Rank means nothing." he replies.

"I agree. It all comes down to the skills between the Operator and the Net Navi, and trust me, we have plenty of skill." Jacob continues as William smiles.

Commander lunges at the towering Navi before grabbing his neck, using the momentum to swing around the back side of this Navi. Onslaught bats Commander off with his rifle before the small device on the back left side opens up, firing four medium sized missiles at Commander. The white Navi twirls in the air as the missiles fly past him. As Commander lands the missiles explode behind him, creating a cloud of smoke. Onslaught waits for his chance to fire again before an extremely large blast flies out of the smoke, hitting Onslaught right in the middle of his chest. For the first time the Navi flies back from damage. His boosters flare up again, helping him to regain his balance. The smoke clears away as Commander throws aside an extremely large cannon. In his left hand forms a slender energy saber with sparks flying off the tip of the blade. He rushes up to Onslaught before swinging sideways, connecting with an energy blade from Onslaught's left arm. Commander looks closer to see the blade is coming from the small device on his arm. Commander then spins around and slams his right fist into the device before Onslaught loses his saber. Commander holds his weapon to the large Navi's throat as the two of them stare at each other.

"I would say that we have won… wouldn't you?" asks Jacob as Blake stands there with his mouth wide open.

"You're right, I lose this one. I'll come back with you to see my father." William replies as Onslaught logs out.

"I apologize for failing you William." Onslaught speaks to him from the PET.

"Not at all… this was bound to happen one day." William replies as Jacob walks over to him.

"You were going easy on Blake… why?" questions Jacob.

"So you noticed. Seems like that guy has a lot on his mind, otherwise he would have fought a lot harder." replies William as Jacob looks back at Blake who is looking down at the ground with an angry face.

"Yeah… he would have." Jacob mutters as the rain finally dies down with the sun coming out.

"I'll see you back at base." Blake shouts to Jacob as he runs off.

"Let's go, your father is waiting." Jacob tells him.

"Don't remind me." William replies as the two of them walk away from the light post.

Blake arrives at the Officials HQ, running as fast as he can towards the medical area. He walks into a room with only one bed in the middle and a dim light above. Next to the bed is a computer with lines going across the screen in two areas. To the right of the bed is a black leather chair with full arm rests. Blake sits down in the chair before looking at Faith who is in the bed. The machine next to the bed is hooked up to Faith at the moment. Blake closes his eyes as Adam walks into the room with a clipboard. Blake looks towards him as Adam looks at him.

"Blake, I didn't expect you to be in here. Sheesh… it's a bad thing if you give the doctor a heart attack you know…" Adam tells him while letting out a sigh.

"How is she Adam?" asks Blake while looking towards her.

"She's still in a coma… those nano bots really did a number on her. She's lucky to be alive…" Adam replies as he closes his eyes.

"It's my fault… if I could have been here sooner… she would still…" Blake starts as tears begin to roll down his cheeks. Adam puts his hand on Blake's left shoulder as he lets out another sigh.

"It is not your fault Blake, you did what you could. Even though we got all of the nano bots out of her systems, there was still nerve damage. It will take time for her to heal… I'm sorry Blake." Adam tells him before leaving the room. Blake moves the chair closer to Faith's bed as he continues to weep.

"I'm sorry Faith…" Blake tells her as he grabs her left hand and holds it tightly.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**End of Scene 1**


	17. ZNC6 Scene 2: The Anti Virus Navi's

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 6: New Enemy**

**Scene 2: The Anti Virus Navi's**

**

* * *

**Blake and Jacob stand outside of Stanley's office with their arms crossed, both of them with an uneasy look to their faces. Inside of the office they can hear the father and son shouting at each other with many crashing noises heard after. As an extremely loud crash is heard Jacob closes his eyes as he becomes stressed while Blake shakes his head back and forth.

"I'd hate to see the family reunion." Jacob speaks up as Blake gets the same stressed look on his face.

They wait by the office for a bit longer before William and his father walk out of the office with calm looks to their faces. Both Blake and Jacob look at each other before looking back at the father and son with frowns on their faces.

"What… was going on in there?" asks Blake.

"What do you mean?" asks Stanley while looking at Blake.

"It sounded like a street brawl in there." Jacob comments as William chuckles a bit.

"Me and my father have our own way of talking through things." William says as he looks at his father.

"Will you help us in the fight against Enigma?" Stanley asks his son.

"I will, but not your way. See you around pops, sir." William replies while saluting with two fingers.

William walks past Blake before backing up a bit, looking him in the eyes. The two stare at each other for about a minute before William lets out a sigh and places his hands on Blake's shoulders. William then walks away without saying anything, leaving Blake with a confused look.

_**What… was that about?**_

"In my office you two, I have a mission for you." Stanley tells them as he walks back inside.

As Jacob and Blake enter the room they instantly notice the destruction. All of the chairs are upside down, some are even broken in half. The two of them walk up to the desk while stepping on a large amount of papers. Stanley flips his own chair upright before sitting down, groaning a bit as the two Operators stand in front of his desk.

"Sir… what happened in here?" asks Blake with a stressed look.

_**As if I have to ask… they kicked each others butt!**_

"My son and I are men of few words." replies Stanley as Jacob chuckles a bit.

"I can see that…" Blake continues as he looks around.

"With that same thing in mind, I'll cut right to it for today. There have been reports of a group of three Net Navi's that have been attacking extremely powerful firewalls. This group of Navi's is extremely powerful, which is why I am sending you two to handle this. Capture them or delete them, either way they cannot remain on the net. We set up a firewall at one of the banks in ACDC, they will no doubt target that place. Your ride will be ready when you get outside." Stanley tells them as he turns around in his seat.

"Yes sir." the two of them reply before walking out of the room.

Jacob leads the way while Blake follows a bit far behind. He looks around the massive place a bit before bumping into one of the personnel. The two of them fall to the ground while the papers the person was holding fly into the air. Blake looks up to see that it is an incredibly large man who is a bit upset about the collision. Blake rushes to run past him as Jacob shakes his head from a distance. A few minutes go by as the two of them exit the base with the sun beaming down on them from a clear sky.

"Hey!" William's voice calls out to them as they turn around to see him walking up towards them.

"What?" asks Jacob while crossing his arms.

"Can I get a ride with you guys? I have no idea on how to get off of this place without swimming all the way home. Trust me… Flipper the dolphin I am not." William replies as Jacob nods his head.

"We can give you a ride if you can help us on our mission." Jacob returns as William lets out a sigh.

"What'cha got?" he asks.

"We're on our way to either delete or capture three powerful Net Navi's, having you on our side makes it even." Jacob replies with a smile across his face.

"I'll help you out, just get me off this freaking island. I mean, who has secret bases on islands these days?" he asks.

_**He has a point you know…**_

The three of them walk towards a black helicopter that is preparing to take off. They climb inside of it as the pilot greets them and goes through the standard procedures of take off. William reminds the pilot that he has been through this many times by shouting back at him. Blake and Jacob both quietly sit there as William and the pilot start shouting at each other. Finally William sits down as the pilot turns around to take off. The trip was quiet as Blake did not want to start anything between the pilot and William. They finally land in a secure zone an hour later on the beach. Blake and Jacob jump out of the left side as William takes his seat belt off. The pilot tilts the helicopter to the left as William falls out, right on his face.

"Next time don't bad mouth the pilot!" the pilot shouts as William stands to his feet with sand all over his face.

"Onslaught, teach this guy some manners." William tells his Navi as a red light shoots towards the helicopters control panel from the window. The helicopter flies away before the blades suddenly stop spinning. The helicopter begins to fall towards the water as Onslaught returns to the PET.

"Next time don't screw with the guy who has the access codes to your equipment!" William shouts back as the pilot jumps out of the helicopter before it crashes into the water.

"That is not coming out of my check." Jacob comments as he walks towards the city.

"We're paid for this?" asks Blake while following.

_**I'm not sure about you, but I hate banks. They are about as fun as turning a door knob… no really, it's that much fun. As soon as we arrive at this bank, somewhere in the middle of ACDC, a snooty, big nosed man greets up, sounding like there is something stuck in his nose. I mean this dude is wearing a full grey tux, complete with the pocket protector as well. I'm also glad that there is no major lighting in the building, because this guys comb over is just embarrassing.**_

"So tell me again what we have to do?" asks William as the three of them sit on a couch in the large lobby.

All around them is bankers and people walking around. There is a total of four long counters for people to stand at for their banking needs, and a total of seven desks in this room alone. Blake yawns as Zero appears on his right shoulder with his arms crossed.

"What's up?" Blake asks his Navi while wiping the tired tears away.

"How are you doing?" questions Zero as Blake seems a bit shocked.

"I'm alright." he replies while looking away.

"After being your Navi for a little while now, I've learned that you're a horrible liar." Zero comments as he sits down on his Operator's shoulder.

"Thanks for your concern Zero, but I'm doing okay. I want Faith back of course, but I'm an Official now. I just can't sit around and cry over her being in a coma, I need to help the Official's in any way that I can." returns Blake.

"I'm… sorry Blake…" Zero speaks as he closes his eyes.

"What do you have to apologize for?" questions Blake as he looks at Zero.

"It's because of me that your life has become a living hell, it's because of me that you can never use the cross fusion technology without tempting death… I'm a mistake, something that should have never of been created." Zero replies as an actual tear rolls down Zero's face.

"Zero… you're not the same Net Navi as before. Sure I thought of you as an annoyance before, but now I'd like to think of you as my friend. Someone that I can rely on when I need him, a sword that I can draw when my friends are in danger. You're no mistake Zero, you are a gift to me." Blake replies as Zero looks back at him with his usual serious face, but then smiles while closing his eyes.

"Isn't this cute, the two of them are having a moment." William speaks up as Blake looks towards them.

"Their bond is growing stronger and stronger day by day. Even though I'm not going to openly say this… Blake is easily my equal just as Zero is Commander's equal." Jacob speaks to his Navi as William teases Blake.

"I agree sir." Commander replies from the PET.

"On which part?" asks Jacob.

"Their bond. I'm not ready to accept Zero being my equal." Commander answers as the PET screen goes dark.

"You'll never change." Jacob thinks to himself with a smirk across his face. "I guess not, after all I programmed you myself." he finishes his thought.

The three of them wait at the bank for hours and hours as they continue to switch positions on the couch. William orders pizza for them to eat while waiting, which Blake was very thankful for. As the time slowly passes by the sun slowly goes down, with more and more people leaving the large lobby. Finally as the clock reaches eight on the mark, the snooty man from before rushes up to them while wiping his forehead with a tissue.

"Gentlemen, our new firewall is under attack just like you said it would be! Please, you must defend this bank!" the man tells them as all three of them jump at right at that moment.

They run towards the security room on the left before stopping to stretch a bit. As the man begins to complain they enter the security room and instantly plug in to the banks systems. As Zero materializes in the orange world, he can see many numbers floating in the background. The ground is red all around with no end in sight. Behind him Onslaught and Commander materialize, and behind them is the firewall that is protecting a large vault with numbers all over it.

"Whoa… that's cool." Blake mutters as William chuckles a bit.

"Excuse me, I'm going to activate the banks Navi system now. They should help you win this fight with no trouble at all." the snooty man tells them as a literal army of standard Navi's materialize in front of them. All of them wearing the standard grey suits.

_**I hate it when someone says something like that. Now everything will go wrong.**_

"That is a lot of standard Navi's…" Jacob comments.

"Why thank you! We take pride in our defensive capabilities!" the snooty man says with a large smile.

"That was not a compliment…" Jacob mutters with a stressed face while William laughs at him.

"I count at least one hundred standard Navi's." Onslaught speaks up.

"They're here!" Zero and Commander both say at the same time.

In the distance in front of the army is a lone figure with white and blue armor. His helmet has a yellow spike coming out of the left and right side of his head going upwards. The top middle part of the helmet and backside is blue. The piece of armor that is covering the forehead and nose area is white. His eyes are white with no pupil as well, with a black line under each eye that goes down as far as the armor for the nose. He has no mouth, but a chin guard comes from the helmet along the cheeks and forms a thicker piece of armor on the chin.

His stomach area has blue armor with a yellow piece of armor above that. His chest plate begins from the middle of the ribs area and up, curving upwards from the sides in order to fit right above the yellow piece of armor in the middle. There is a white piece of armor directly under the neck. His shoulder pads are flat and white and cover the front and back with an opening on the sides. There is a small patch of blue armor that stretches across the top of the shoulder pads about halfway. The armor covering his arms is white with blue going along the top part of his elbow down to the wrist. His hands are blue with white palms.

His waist has white armor all around it that sticks out a bit and has blue armor on the left and right sides only, not all the way around. His thighs are blue with white going down the front and back. The Navi has round blue armor covering him from the knees down to the feet with white on the left and right of each leg. There is a piece of white armor that is above he feet that looks like it is guarding the feet. This piece connects to the leg armor on the sides, not all the way around. This Navi has white boots that are slick looking, almost looking like the Navi version of sneakers. There is blue along the bottom of the feet.

This Navi carries a sword that is the same height as he is. The handle is the same length as his elbow down to his hand. The piece that is holding the thick but sharp blade is grey and extends out a bit, almost like a bent out of shape V. The middle of the blade is grey and the color goes all the way to the tip of the blade. The sharp outside parts of the blade is yellow with grey covering the entire tip at the end. The grey tip is flat as well.

This Navi takes a single step forward before dashing forward. This Navi instantly deletes a massive amount of standard Navi's within seconds as it continues its rampage. It leaps into the air before slamming its buster sword down on the ground, creating a shockwave that destroys well over half of the army. The white and blue Navi then rushes forward while swinging its blade around with great speed. The standard Navi's struggle to counter attack as they fall one by one. The white and blue Navi holds the buster sword towards the last group of standard Navi's as the buster sword actually slides open from the middle to the top, revealing what looks like a mini gun.

"What a second… that weapon… it couldn't be!" Jacob shouts as the white and blue Navi opens fire on the last of the army. The bullets shoot along a straight path before striking the Navi's, instantly deleting them.

"Wow." Onslaught speaks.

"Go get his autograph Onslaught." William tells his Navi.

"Yes sir." replies Onslaught as he boosts towards the lone Navi.

"I wouldn't…" Zero starts as Onslaught slams into the side of the white and blue Navi. "… do that…" finishes Zero.

The white and blue Navi hit's the ground and slides across it before flipping over to regain his balance. He lowers his arms to his sides as Onslaught rushes towards him with his left arm saber extended. The large Navi begins to slash towards the smaller white Navi. The white Navi barely moves in order to dodge each attack before pulling his left arm back and punching Onslaught in the stomach. The large Navi yells out in pain while sliding backwards and slamming into Zero and Commander.

"Whoa! Onslaught was really far out there too!" Blake says as William growls at his comment.

"This is no ordinary Navi…" thinks Jacob as the white Navi walks towards the group. He then stops in front of them while extending his right arm with his palm facing up. He then flicks his fingers two times as Zero's saber forms in his right hand and Commander's gun blades form in his hands.

"Interesting." the white and blue Navi finally speaks as his buster sword appears next to him in the ground.

"What are you?" asks Zero as he and Commander get into a fighting position.

"I am the same as you virus king, but at the same time I am the opposite. I am Infinity!" he replies.

"What do you mean the same as me?" Zero asks before Onslaught stands to his feet and fires his laser rifle at Infinity.

The white and blue Navi grabs his sword and twirls around, slashing towards Onslaught. A shockwave fires out of the buster sword and instantly hit's the large pale green Navi. As he falls back down Zero rushes Infinity while slashing a few times. Each time Infinity blocks the attack with the middle of his blade, showing that he has complete control of his blade. Commander appears behind Infinity while slashing rapidly with his blade. Infinity blocks each attack as Commander pulls the triggers on both gun blades, firing two rounds at his foe. Infinity ducks out of the way before bringing the bottom side of his swords handle up and slamming it into Commander's chin. He flies back as a group of four missiles suddenly land all around Infinity. Onslaught's missile pod lowers back behind his back as he staggers over to Zero. As the cyber smoke rises Commander walks over to them while scanning the area.

"Something is not right here… we're being watched." Commander tells them while looking around.

"This is no longer interesting." Infinity's voice can be heard from inside the smoke. The smoke disappears suddenly as Infinity can be seen twirling his buster sword over his head.

"This guy is the real deal." William says while looking at his PET. "Why did you have to get me involved in this crap?" he asks while looking at Jacob.

"Come out my friends!" shouts Infinity as a pale dark green ball of light and a dark blood red ball of light appears next to him.

Out of the green light a pale dark green Navi appears. He is almost the same size as Onslaught. His helmet is flat on the forehead and curved on the sides. The flat forehead piece rests above his green visor and is shaped like a rectangle. A piece of green armor covers his entire face and rests under his visor. The visor dips down in the middle a bit. On the sides a dark blue, almost seeming to be grey color covers the middle and lower sides of the helmet.

His torso is shaped a lot like Onslaught's, only a bit more curved all the way around. In the middle of his chest is long piece of dark blue armor that goes from the neck down to his waist with circuits running through the very middle. On the sides of that strip of armor is the same thing, only going from side to side. On the back of the torso is nothing but the dark pale green armor.

His pale dark green shoulder pads are the same as Infinity's, only larger with more armor covering the middle outside area. The pads are larger near the torso compared to the end of the pads. The shoulder pads are also more curved than Infinity's. His arms have dark pale green armor that cover all the way down to the wrists. On the wrists is a wrist guard that almost looks like a small shield with the dark pale green look.

The waist of this Navi has slight armor that wraps around all the way. His thighs have no armor, but looks like a body suit that is the dark blue color. In front of the thighs is a piece of armor that lowers a bit from the waist armor. There is armor covering his knees down with the dark pale green color on the front, but dark blue on the back. His armor on his legs is more of a box shape and has the same piece of armor guarding the top of his foot, much like Infinity's. His feet is the same as Infinity's but much larger. The top of his feet is covering in the dark pale green armor with the dark blue armor along the sides and under the feet.

On his shoulder rests a cannon that is the same length as he is. There is a small glowing tube that is attached to the front bottom side of the cannon, extending back a bit and connecting to the cannon again. A small glowing light can be seen on the bottom front side of the cannon with another glowing light above that one. The cannon has a rail that is connected to the front part of the weapon with a small opening in the middle, large enough for this Navi to stick his fingers through. The cannon is slick looking while at the same time looks like a long box.

"You called?" the Navi asks while looking towards Zero.

"Epsilon, take care of the large one." Infinity tells him as Epsilon takes aim with his cannon.

"Crud." Onslaught speaks as he boosts out of the way of a massive blast. Zero rolls out of the way as he finds out that he is directly in front of the red ball of light.

Out of the red light appears a figure that is the same size as Infinity. This blood red Navi has less armor than the previous. This Navi has a helmet that looks like a soldiers helmet, but with the forehead piece extending down to the start of the nose area. The blood red helmet has two fins on it, one on each side of the middle part of the helmet. The fins are yellow and curve towards the back of the helmet. This Navi also has a visor, but it is smaller than Epsilon's. The visor is yellow and follows the same pattern as the forehead piece, which is a V with the middle piece lowering more than the rest. Unlike the others, this Navi has a mouth. The skin is dark purple with a chin guard the same color.

The torso has a piece of armor that sticks out from the neck and curves downwards and to the sides above the stomach area. There is a yellow circle in the middle of that armor piece. This Navi is the same height as Infinity, but much more slender. There is only the dark purple body suit from the stomach down.

The shoulder pads are light looking and only covering the shoulders. The arms of this Navi are covered in the purple body suit. This Navi's arm guards look like long red gloves with a yellow circle in the middle of them that extend out a bit.. Although the guards look like long gloves, this Navi's hands are purple. On the right arm is a device that looks like a triangle with the top part being longer than the rest. This device is the same size as the Navi's head.

On the waist is red armor that almost looks like a short skirt, but cut off into three pieces. The thighs of this Navi is covered in the purple body suit. The armor of the legs look like long boots that come up to the knees. A piece of armor stick up from the top which makes it look like an upside down V. Just below the knee piece is a yellow circle on the left and right side of both legs. Above the ankle is a piece of armor that wraps around in a circle formation. The feet of this Navi is slender looking as well with the top part being the blood red color. At the side of each foot is half of a yellow circle.

"The female warrior is at your service." this Navi speaks while also looking at Zero.

"Hunter, take care of the white and gold one. Zero is mine." Infinity tells her as Commander tackles Hunter from the front.

Zero stands to his feet as Infinity aims at him with his buster sword. It opens as the mini gun part begins to spin. Zero blocks as his foe opens fire on him. Zero staggers backwards before Infinity's attack becomes stronger and stronger. Zero flies against a wall as his enemy continues the attack. Finally Zero leaps off of the wall while Infinity keeps his aim steady and hits Zero in the air. The light red Navi comes crashing down on Infinity as the white Navi grabs his blade and uses Zero's momentum to slam him into the ground. Zero staggers to his feet as Infinity uses the flat side of his sword to slam against Zero. The light red Navi slams up against the wall again as Infinity aims his blade at Zero again.

"I will end this right now." Infinity tells him while charging forward with his blade.

Onslaught and Epsilon run back and forth from one spot to another while exchanging laser blasts. Onslaught leaps into the air as his boosters flare up, giving him an extra push. The long barrel on the back right side of his back extends and rests above his right shoulder. Onslaught grabs the barrel of the grenade launcher and moves it towards Epsilon. At that point Epsilon takes aim with his cannon, a blue ball begins to charge in the front. Onslaught fires the grenade launcher which looks like a speeding ball of fire. Epsilon then fires his cannon as a massive blast rushes towards Onslaught. As the beam completely engulfs the grenade shot Onslaught boosts downwards while dodging the blast. Epsilon moves his cannon at the last second as the beam slams down on Onslaught. A cloud of cyber dust rises as Onslaught staggers out of it with his saber flickering on and off. Epsilon walks over to him before holding his cannon in front of him.

"Say goodnight." Epsilon says while his cannons charges again.

Commander flips over the female warrior while his gun blades cut across her shoulders. Hunter ducks down in time to avoid being damaged any further before rising back up with a head butt. Commander shakes his head back and forth as his vision is a bit blurry now. As he lands he loses his footing before Hunter runs at him and slides through his legs. She then twirls around while kicking his legs out from under him and grabs him with her arms. She then kicks him into the air before flipping over. Hunter leaps into the air while a beam saber extends from the triangle device on her right arm. Commander shakes his head again, gaining back his full vision. Hunter appears in front of him as he instantly blocks her attack. While in mid air the two of them begin to rapidly slash towards each other, matching the other each time. Right as they land Commander flips backwards while kicking Hunter in the chin, sending her back into the air. The white Navi takes aim with his gun blades before pulling the triggers. A shot is fired out of each weapon as the two connect with Hunter. She screams out in pain as an electricity shoots across her body. She hits the ground on her side and staggers to stand up. She holds her head with her right hand while looking towards her enemy. Commander is already directly in front of her punching towards her. He hits her in the face before she flies back while twirling in the air. She hit's the ground again, but this time does not get back up.

"I'm not going to feel bad about hitting a lady, and I use the term loosely." Commander says while turning towards the others.

As Epsilon's cannon nears the end of its charge, Onslaught's back suddenly opens up. Two large boosters fold out of his back and begin to charge. With a sudden burst of speed Onslaught tackles Epsilon and grabs his head with his right hand and throws him to the ground. Onslaught's boosters make him look like a rocket now as the pale green Navi holds his foe on the ground. Epsilon struggles to free himself of his foes hold as the ground breaks from his head being buried in the ground at that speed. Epsilon aims his cannon at Onslaught before the pale green Navi swings his saber at the cannon, cutting off the front end of it. This causes an explosion that even blows off Epsilon's right arm. Onslaught releases Epsilon before aiming at him with his laser rifle. He fires many times as Epsilon struggles to block the shots with his left arm. Finally he falls to the ground as Onslaught's eye begins to glow.

"I'm finished here." Onslaught tells his Operator.

Zero attempts to avoid the incoming attack, but Infinity is a step ahead. As Zero moves to the side Infinity moves with him, running Zero through completely in the stomach. He is pinned against the wall with data leaking from his wound.

"Zero!" shouts Blake as he opens a folder on his PET screen.

"I will delete you here and now, and don't bother trying to struggle. The sword that is running through you is full of anti virus programs, just as I have those same programs running through me. You will be deleted slowly." Infinity tells him as Zero grabs the blade.

"What… are you!?" he asks while data leaks from his mouth.

"I told you before, I am the same as you." replies Infinity.

"B-Blake! Help…!" Zero shouts as the blue gem on his forehead begins to glow.

"This will do the trick!" Blake says as Jacob looks to see what he is doing.

"No Blake! I told you that is a very dangerous armor! Zero will be deleted if you use that!" Jacob tells him as Blake pushes him back.

"He's being deleted right now!" replies Blake as he selects a blood red armor from the folder.

Zero's color begins to darken as Infinity takes notice. Zero crushes the blade in his hands as Infinity staggers back a bit, throwing his half of the blade down to the ground. Zero takes a step forward before pulling the blade out of his stomach, his wound instantly healing. His armor finally darkens to the blood red color as a blue saber forms in his right hand. The blue gem on his head shines brighter than ever as he gets into a fighting position.

"Very well then…" Infinity says as another buster sword forms in his hands. "Let me see what the true form of the virus king is capable of!" he adds while aiming his sword towards Zero.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Scene 2 End**


	18. ZNC6 Scene 3: Battle of Kings

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 6: New Enemy**

**Scene 3: Battle of Kings  
**

**

* * *

**Zero begins by slamming his saber to the ground which causes a blue shockwave. Infinity moves to the right with a sidestep before slamming his buster sword to the ground as well. Zero dodges the shockwave as the two rush towards each other with their weapons held beside them. As they swing towards each other and clash, the ground beneath them crumbles and cracks due to the power. The two struggle to over power the other as their weapons begin to spark wildly. In an instant they leap into the air while slashing towards the other. They vanish suddenly as the distant background begins to explode in blue lights, every explosion larger than the previous. Zero appears in front of Commander and Onslaught as Infinity appears above him while swinging towards Zero. The red Navi then ducks before rising upwards with his saber. Infinity flips in the air in order to dodge the attack. The two Navi's get into a fighting stance as they glare at each other.

"Jacob, there is something out there… it's watching us." Commander tells his Operator.

"See if you can locate it, I don't like party crashers." Jacob replies as Commander nods.

"Help him Onslaught." William tells his Navi.

"Sir!" returns Onslaught.

Infinity looks towards Commander and Onslaught before Zero punches him in the face. The white and blue Navi staggers backwards as Zero lunges towards him with his saber ready to delete. Just as Zero attempts to end the fight by thrusting his saber through his foe, Infinity spins around and kicks Zero's saber out of his hands before punching Zero in the face. The red Navi flies back and slides along the ground before stopping himself and regaining a fighting stance. Infinity glares at him before dropping his buster sword. It disappears as Zero runs towards him with Infinity doing the same thing. The two punch towards the other as they both connect. They spin around at the same time before kicking, hitting the others leg.

_**The two of them are matching each other blow for blow… this is unreal. Just what is Infinity? He is the only one that has ever been able to defend himself against this Zero… what have we gotten ourselves into?**_

"This is what I expect from the king of viruses!" Infinity speaks as the two of them engage in a fist lock.

"I will delete you!" Zero shouts in reply as his hands begin to glow red.

"You're trying to assimilate me… but it won't work on me!" Infinity shouts back as his hands glow blue.

"That white and blue Navi contains anti virus programs while Zero contains viruses… this battle will continue to be a stalemate until one tires out. Judging on Zero's previous battles in that form… Blake will lose Zero if he does not hurry up and do something about this." Jacob thinks to himself.

Finally Zero breaks the lock while jumping backwards with his pistol materializing in his right hand. While he is in the air he fires multiple shots at his foe. Infinity's buster sword appears in his left hand as he spins it to counter the incoming shots. As Zero stops Infinity aims his sword at Zero before the sword opens to reveal the mini gun. The gem on Zero's forehead continues to glow as another pistol forms in his left hand. He instantly takes aim as the two of them open fire. The two fire along the ground before striking the other, both of them falling to the ground at the same time. Their weapons disappear as they struggle to stand to their feet. Their armor is cracked and broken in several places on their bodies, the most noticeable is Zero's helmet is broken on the left side of his head, as Infinity's right side of his helmet is broken.

"Zero! Are you alright!?" shouts Blake.

"Give me… another weapon!" Zero replies as Blake searches through the menus of his PET.

"Downloading!" Blake tells him as two energy spikes form the recoil rods on his arms. Infinity's eyes begin to glow as two blue energy spikes form recoil rods on his arms.

"What!?" Blake and Jacob shout as Infinity gets into a fighting position.

"Are you surprised virus king? I told you, I am the same as you!" Infinity shouts as Zero lunges towards him.

"I don't care about being the same as you! I will delete you and take your powers for myself! I will become stronger through this battle! Not a Navi in in the net will be strong enough to fight against me!" Zero shouts at him as his eyes turn red.

"Zero… this is not who you are… you're not a power hungry fiend! Snap out of it Zero!" Blake yells as the gem on Zero's head begins to blink.

The two Navi's clash with each other as Zero begins to feel weaker by the second. Finally Infinity overpowers him and jabs his recoil rods into Zero's shoulders. He pins him against the floor as Zero struggles to get free. He then knees Infinity in the stomach as the white and blue Navi releases him. Zero stands to his feet with his arms hanging to his sides. The gem on his forehead stops blinking and dies down, forcing Zero to the ground face first. He loses his dark red color and regains his normal light red color.

"Is this all the virus king has to offer?" asks Infinity while his buster sword forms again.

"B-Blake…" Zero struggles to speak.

"Come on Zero, get up! You don't need that corrupting form to take him on! It's just a color! Get up and fight!" Blake shouts at him while Zero attempts to get on his knees.

"Give me your strength… Blake!" Zero shouts as his body begins to glow. A small shockwave emits from Zero as he stands to his feet.

"What… is this!?" Infinity shouts as Zero's normal green saber forms in his right hand.

"Go get him Zero!" Blake tells him while clenching his right fist in front of his face.

"At least this time I'm not on the receiving end of that." Jacob says with a stressed face.

"No matter! I will still defeat you here and now!" Infinity tells him before Zero disappears as a sound of lightning sounds throughout the net. There is a burn mark where Zero was standing.

"Their full synchro has become stronger?" Jacob thinks to himself as he watches the fight.

"We have located the source of the watcher Jacob." Commander reports in.

"Were you able to deal with it?" he questions.

"No sir, whatever it is, it does not want to be attacked. There is thousands of mini firewalls placed around it above the area." Commander replies.

"An observer of battles is it? Good work you two, keep me and William informed." Jacob tells the two Navi's.

"Yes sir." returns Commander.

"Observing battles… I've heard of that before…" Jacob thinks to himself.

Zero appears behind Infinity as the white and blue Navi spins around to attack. Zero slashes at him with his saber as the two clash. There is an explosion of power as the two continue to fight the other off. With each strike of their weapons they become faster and faster until they look like blurs. Their weapons explode as they engage in fist to fist combat. The two counter the other as they begin to add kicks into the attacks. Zero head butts Infinity as the white and blue Navi staggers back. Infinity shakes his head as Zero runs towards him with his right arm pulled back. As he punches Infinity quickly moves to the side before kneeing Zero in the stomach. The light red glowing Navi also staggers back as Infinity grabs him by the head and head butts him as well. As Zero shakes his head he can see Infinity kicking towards him. Zero rolls out of the way before his pistol forms in his right hand. He punches Infinity in the stomach with his right fist before firing his weapon. At that range his weapon explodes which sends Infinity and Zero flying backwards.

The two of them slide along the ground before stopping a few moments later. They stagger to their feet as Infinity forms his buster sword again as Zero forms his saber again. With lightning fast attacks they instantly clash with each other. With each attack they slide past the other, continuously repeating the same side swipe. As they continue to repeat their attacks a distortion appears above them in the digital sky with sparks jumping back and forth. Zero and Infinity slash towards each other again before a massive blast hits between them, engulfing both of them and most of the area. Commander looks towards Onslaught with an angry look to his face.

"What? I didn't do it!" Onslaught shouts at him while throwing his laser rifle to the ground.

"Zero! Are you there!? Zero!" Blake shouts as the blast finally dies down.

A massive crater is left behind with Zero and Infinity in the middle of it. A figure slowly emerges from the distortion in the sky. The boots are gold with some marks in the middle above the ankles to the knee. A part of the armor of the legs pieces spikes upwards from the knee areas. As the figure continues to slowly exit the distortion they can see that it has a dark black body suit with dark purple lines going up the left and right side. The hands are white with gold color wrist guards that cover a bit more than just the wrists. On those wrist guards is what looks like curved arm blades that extend a bit over the hands and past the wrist guards. On his chest is an emblem, this emblem appears on Jacob's PET as he gets a shocked and terrified look to his face. On his PET is a red emblem with a silver trim around it. A black line goes across the red in the emblem diagonally, with more black along the top right and bottom left.

After the emblem is gold shoulder pads that are curved and somewhat flat on the top and bottom but extend out a bit. A piece of the shoulder pads cover a small part of the arms. Around the neck is a brown scarf that looks torn and ripped. The green eyes of this Navi stare down at them as it continues to slowly hover down. This Navi is wearing a black face mask with dark purple lines along the masks upper parts near his eyes and forehead. Above the eyes on the helmet is the same dark purple line that goes along the forehead with a line that goes up on the corners. The Navi has a blue gem on his forehead that is much more narrow and thick looking than Zero's. The helmet splits off from the forehead like an arc under the blue gem going diagonally to the left and right. On the outer part of the diagonal pieces is the gold color. At the back left and right of the helmet is another piece of the arc that splits off and faces downwards. On the sides of the helmet is the same emblem on the chest but sideways and with a much thicker silver trim behind the cheeks area.

"Who are you!?" Onslaught shouts as he flies towards the Navi.

"I am… what I am. I am the true king of the net. The only one who deserves the title king…" the Navi speaks in a dark voice.

"Get Onslaught out of there now William!" Jacob shouts at him as he takes notice to William desperately attempting to log his Navi out.

"I'm trying to!" replies William as he continues to press the log out button.

"For some time now… I have felt a power. A power that rivals my own at times… I have come to battle with that power!" the Navi speaks as it looks towards Zero, who at the moment is struggling to stand up.

"Who… are you!?" asks Zero as he regains a standing stance.

"I am… Rockman!" the Navi finally reveals as he turns towards Onslaught.

"I knew it… I heard rumors that when Rockman's Operator was killed… he went on a rampage on the net." Jacob says before Rockman appears on all of their PET screens.

"That's right… he was taken away from me… I rampaged through the net until I found what I was looking for… a dark power that only I was able to control… Forte. I forced him to fuse with my ultimate program after a long battle… I became the god of chaos… forever. Now I am here to absorb Zero, the so called king of viruses. I do not care for his counter part." Rockman speaks as Infinity stands to his feet.

"Tough talk for a hero turned evil." Blake speaks up as Rockman clenches his fists.

"I rule this place human! You cannot defeat me!" Rockman shouts back as Blake shakes his head.

"I use to read stories about you and Netto…" Blake says as he closes his eyes.

"Shut up! Never say his name!" yells Rockman as lightning strikes behind him.

"I thought of you and him as heroes, saving the world more times than most can count. You were heroes… you were my heroes… it saddens me to see how a hero can fall so quickly." Blake speaks as Rockman's gem begins to glow.

He looks towards Zero before appearing in front of him. Zero is sent flying upwards as Rockman follows after him while firing his buster gun. Many explosions are set off in the air before Zero slams into the ground. Rockman hovers above him as his hands begin to glow. Energy begins to form in his hands as he throws the balls of energy at Zero. The light red Navi forms his saber before attempting to deflect the attacks. Rockman's attacks are too strong for him as the balls of energy. Zero slams against the ground as Rockman falls towards him with his hands glowing again. As he lands an extremely large explosion is set off. Zero is thrown from the explosion as he rolls along the ground, broken and damage beyond repair.

"Zero!" shouts Blake as Rockman appears on his screen again.

"Your words cannot reach him now. I will absorb him and take his powers for myself." Rockman tells him.

"So you're going to take Zero away from me is that it? You would take Zero away from me just like the people who took Netto from you?" asks Blake as shock hits Rockman.

"This is different!" replies Rockman.

"This is the same thing! They took Netto away from you by killing him! You're trying to do the same thing right here! You would be no better than the ones who killed Netto!" Blake shouts at him as Rockman shakes his head.

"Even though he's just a Navi… Blake has got balls to talk to Rockman like that." William says as Jacob begins to type on his PET screen.

"I'm going to try and hack into the firewalls that Rockman has put up. If I can do this, we can get our Navi's out in one piece." Jacob tells William as Commander aims a sniper rifle at Rockman.

"Shut up human! I will not listen to anymore of this!" Rockman shouts as Blake runs through a folder on his PET.

"You shut up! I will not allow you to absorb Zero because of some childish tantrum!" Blake shouts back as he touches the screen.

Zero appears on the screen with his helmet missing and his hair burned off. Most of his armor is missing as he lies there motionless on the ground. Blake moves his fingers over Zero as a bright light emits from the touch. Zero's body begins to glow as he opens his eyes and stands to his feet. He then closes his eyes as his armor begins to heal and reform on his body. Rockman turns to look at Zero as he regains his armor.

"This feeling… have I really become so enraged with revenge that I have forgotten who I am? We will see who is right by this fight! I await you Zero, king of viruses!" Rockman tells him as he crosses his arms.

"Their bond has become even stronger since the fight with Infinity… these two have become stronger than I ever expected." Jacob says while Blake moves through the folders on the PET screen.

"Let's go Zero!" Blake tells his Navi as Zero throws his right arm out to the side while his saber forms in his hand. His armor begins to turn blood red again as his saber turns blue. Rockman hovers down in front of him as Zero's pistol forms in his left hand.

"His gem is not glowing this time… has their bond broken through the corruption of that form?" Jacob thinks to himself as Commander and Onslaught finally log out.

"I have allowed your friends to log out… this will be a one on one fight." Rockman tells Zero as he lands in front of Zero.

"I'm not much on talking, but I will say this… you are not taking me away from Blake. He has suffered more than most humans can deal with, yet he is still fighting for what is right! He is still fighting for what is right!" Zero shouts at him as Blake's begin to fill with tears.

"Zero…" he mutters as another shockwave emits from Zero. His blood red color begins to glow just as his normal form did before.

Rockman dashes forward with a burst of speed as Zero does the same. The red Navi brings his saber around as Rockman pushes his hands forward. Zero's saber connects with Rockman's energy attack before there is an explosion. This even shakes the entire cyber world as Rockman jumps into the air while firing at the red Navi with his buster gun. Zero dodges the incoming rounds with lightning fast agility as Blake sends him a few battle chips. Suddenly Zero appears in front of Rockman while swinging his saber. The black Navi blocks the attack with his right hand as he brings his left around with a dark purple blade in his hand. Zero spots the attack before turning invisible right in front of Rockman. The two land before leaping away from each other, holding their weapons in front of them. Rockman's weapon disappears as he pulls his arms back. Two dark purple spinning blades appear on his hands before he throws them at Zero. The red Navi rolls out of the way of the first, but the second one hits him. Zero falls to his knees as Rockman holds his hands out to his sides with sparks flying out of his hands.

"Darkness overload!" shouts Rockman as he slams his hands together.

The same blast that interrupted Zero's fight with Infinity is fired out of Rockman's charge as Zero stands to his feet. The red Navi grasps his saber even tighter as he runs towards the blast. With a single vertical slash of his saber he cuts the beam in two as it passes him by. Rockman takes a step back as Zero rushes towards him with his saber dragging the ground behind him. The entire time Zero's saber is glowing brighter and brighter. Rockman runs towards Zero at that moment before attempting to grab his neck. Right then before Rockman grabs him, Zero ducks before rising upwards with his fully charged saber. A deep cut appears on Rockman's emblem as he staggers backwards while holding his chest. Suddenly the ground begins to shake and crumble as Rockman puts his hands together with a giant cannon forming. He fires a round that is about the same size as Zero as the red Navi blocks in defense. A massive explosion engulfs the two of them as Blake and the others continue to watch. As the cyber smoke clears Zero falls to the ground in his original form with his helmet breaking off. His armor falls off as well while Rockman still stands strong.

"Can you hear me… Blake?" Rockman asks.

"I can hear you." replies Blake.

"I will not delete Zero. You two have shown me something today… you share a close bond with each other, something that I use to have with Netto. I envy you I really do… instead of deleting him, I will give you a gift." Rockman tells him before walking over to Zero. He bends down as his right hand begins to glow.

"What is it?" asks Blake.

"Strange… he already has the get ability program and the armor changing program. Then I will give him something that is even more precious to me… my Hub program." Rockman says as Zero's body begins to glow as well.

"What will that do to you?" asks Jacob as he walks up next to Blake.

"Normally I would fade away, but I control Forte's powers now. It will not harm me." replies Rockman as he sends the program to Zero.

"Thank you Rockman… I'm sorry about Netto." Blake tells the Navi.

"You would be the first to apologize… but I warn you… this program can be a double edged sword. While in full synchro you will achieve levels that are doubled, even tripled compared to what they are now… but you will receive damage just as Zero does. A fair warning from the king of the net to you…" Rockman tells him before disappearing completely.

_**So with that… the legend leaves us. I do feel sorry for Rockman… Zero recovered shortly after that, but he seems different. He has more of a personality now. Maybe it has something to do with that Hub thing Rockman gave him, I don't know. Infinity escaped while the battle between Rockman and Zero was taking place. His friends Epsilon and Hunter are gone too… I guess we will have to report mission failed when we return to base… man I hate not having a normal life… but sometimes it's fun. Honestly I hated Navi's at first, but now I feel like they are a part of us, just as we are a part of them. Zero is not just a Navi that I use in battles or a tool that I use for everyday needs… he's my friend. Man, I really feel corny right now.**_

* * *

**End of Chapter 6**


	19. ZNC7 Scene 1: The Second Terminal

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 7: Dirt In The Wound**

**Scene 1: The Second Terminal**

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* * *

**Blake sits next to Faith's bed, holding her hand tightly as he hangs his head in shame. At times a tear rolls down his cheek before wiping it away, knowing that another tear will soon follow after. He glances over at the devices hooked up to her while squinting his eyes, wondering when she will wake up… or if she will ever wake up.

_**She has been in a coma for two months now… I am very responsible for this. If she had of never met me, she would be fine right now, still living her life in peace with her father. I screwed up her life big time… I'm glad that Sigma is gone forever, otherwise her life would still be in danger. I just want her to wake up… that's all I want right now.**_

Blake stands to his feet while stretching, walking towards the door that leads to the hallway. He puts his hands in his pockets while walking down the white hallway filled with nurses and doctors. Blake knew that keeping Faith in the hospital on base was the smart choice, but he also knew that her father wanted to see her. Blake walks into the cafeteria to get something to eat. He takes a couple of sandwiches and a bottle of water and heads back to Faith's room. Upon entering the room he stops, looking towards Faith's bed before dropping everything in his hands. He runs back down the hallways and right into Adam's office.

"Adam! She's awake!" he shouts at him as the two of them, along with a pair of nurses run down the hallway with him As they all pile into the room Faith looks at them with confusion on her face.

"Where am I?" she asks with an even more confused look on her face.

_**As the minutes go by Adam and the nurses check her over, flashing lights in her eyes and checking pulses and so on. My favorite part was when they stood her up and forgot that she was wearing one of those hospital gowns that reveals a bit too much in the back area.**_

"Blake! You were looking!" Faith screams at the top of her lungs as Blake turns around in a hurry.

"Nice butt." Blake replies before a flat computer screen smashes against the back side of his head.

"C-Calm down miss Faith!" Adam pleads with her as Blake twitches on the ground.

"Let's get a full check on you now Faith." a nurse tells her as they go into the next room. Adam walks over to Blake before sitting him up.

"Wow… what hit me?" asks Blake before taking notice to the broken computer screen.

"That was not the best thing to say to her you know…" Adam tells him as Blake laughs to himself.

_**It was worth it.**_ _**A few minutes later Faith walks out of the next room with her normal clothes on, glaring at me a bit. She didn't stay mad at me for long, because I gave her the biggest hug I could give.**_

"I'm so sorry this happened to you Faith… it was my fault." Blake tells her.

"Blake… it wasn't your fault." she replies as her stomach growls.

"My patient needs food Blake, go take her to eat something." Adam tells him as he and the nurses leave the room.

_**Now normally a doctor would never allow someone to leave right after coming out of a coma, but here at the Officials, everything is done quickly while being efficient at the same time. Yeah… what a bunch of crap.**_

"Oh my God… this tastes so good!" says Faith as she takes a large bite out of a massive sandwich.

"Are you sure that you should be… eating that much?" asks Blake as Jacob laughs beside him.

"Leave her alone. She's been in a coma for two months, I'd be pretty hungry myself." Jacob says while taking a bite out of his own massive sandwich.

"So, are you going to take me out today Blake?" questions Faith as Blake nods his head.

"I have something to do before I can take you out, but after I'm finished I'm free the rest of the day." replies Blake as he looks at the PET on his wrist.

"Yeah, we need to get going so you can get out of here faster. Enjoy your meal Faith, it's good to have you back with us." Jacob tells her as he and Blake leave the table. Faith continues to eat as some of the people sitting across from her have stressed looks on their faces..

Blake and Jacob walk into the colorful arena where Scientist One works. While entering the arena Scientists A and B are climbing the walls with some high tech gear attached to their bodies. Scientist One walks over to Blake and Jacob before shaking their hands with a smile across his face.

"Thanks for coming." he starts off as he leads them to a table in the middle of the arena.

_**Yeah, like we had a choice about coming here.**_

"What will I be doing?" asks Blake.

"Nothing. I will be explaining how your new PAT system will work." Scientist One replies as Blake gets a curious look to his face.

"I'll bite… what in the world is PAT?" asks Blake as Scientist One turns around to grab something on the table. When he turns around he is holding a device that looks a lot like a PET, but without a screen.

"This is the Personal Armor Terminal, a device made specially for you Blake." Scientist One tells him.

"Why me?" asks Blake while pointing to himself.

"Jacob mentioned awhile back that Zero cut through an apple that was falling towards him. A hologram displaying a Net Navi was able to cut through an apple. I started to think since whenever you cross fuse, it nearly kills you each and every time. This is the solution, the PAT. When you activate it, you will have access to Zero's powers for as long as you need them, without your life being at risk. His armor will be your armor, just like cross fusion." Scientist One explains as Jacob crosses his arms.

"How is he able to do this without cross fusion?" asks Jacob.

"It's simple. Imagine a projector displaying an image onto a wall. When you walk up to it and place your hand on the wall, the image being displayed on the wall is on your hand as well. Zero is an extremely unique Net Navi. His hologram form is actually solid, while other Net Navi's are transparent and you can move your hands through them." Scientist One explains further.

"So in a sense, Zero's armor is the film, being projected onto Blake's body?" asks Jacob.

"Correct." Scientist One returns.

"Sweet! So I'm like a Power Ranger or something?" Blake asks as Jacob shakes his head.

"It's not that simple…" Scientist One replies.

"It's morphing time!" shouts Blake as he holds the PAT in front of him.

"Please don't make fun of my work…" Scientist One returns.

_**Well… he threw us out of the colorful arena… I didn't know he was so touchy about his work. I was trying to have some fun… Oh well… After that I found Faith walking through the base looking at everything. I took her outside so we could wait for our ride to the city. She looks so beautiful with the ocean behind her and the sun high in the sky… Just as I was about to put my arm around her the helicopter arrives with Jacob riding in the front. After we are dropped off Jacob parts ways with us to do his own thing… finally, some alone time with her.**_

"Let's go shopping!" she suddenly shouts as Blake hangs his head.

_**Well that idea was screwed wasn't it? Oh well… I'm still spending time with her… and clothes… so, many, clothes…**_

"Do you think this would look good on me?" asks Faith while holding a blue dress up in front of her in a department store.

_**We've been shopping for clothes, for three hours… three hours! I'd like anything if it meant to get out of this same store, for three hours!**_

"Honestly, I liked the hospital gown." Blake comments as Faith glares at him.

"Let's go to the computer store." she returns as Blake gets a stressed look to his face.

"Uh… let's not…" Blake replies.

_**Still, totally worth it.**_

"I should take you to your father now, he will be overjoyed to see you again." Blake tells her with a smile on his face.

"Sounds good, let's go!" she replies before racing out of the store. Blake follows after as he notices Jacob leaning against his black car with his arms crossed.

"Need a ride?" he asks as Blake and Faith look at each other. Blake gets in on the passenger side with Faith getting in behind him.

_**Jacob has a pretty cool car, so why would I refuse?**_

"You'll be there in no time." Jacob tells them as he turns down a street with a helicopter hovering in front of them. "Maybe not…" adds Jacob as he spins the wheel. He presses down on the break pedal as the car spins around with Faith screaming the entire time. Jacob shifts the gears before driving away from the helicopter.

The helicopter is a dark blue color with mini guns and missile pods under the small wings. It is a one seat helicopter with no pilot. The helicopter begins to chase after them as Jacob drives through the traffic, barely avoiding the vehicles as some points. He slams on the brake while turning the wheel before sliding to the next street. He can see the highway from where they are, pushing down on the gas pedal as the car picks up speed. The helicopter begins to fire at them with the mini guns as Jacob turns to the left and right to avoid.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to…" he starts before Blake punches him in the shoulder.

"Haven't you learned from the last time!?" he shouts at Jacob.

A pair of missiles land beside them as Jacob flips a switch, activating the turbo boost.. As the blue flames flare up out of the back of the car the traffic becomes worse as Jacob is forced to slow down. The helicopter then flies over their heads before turning around in front of them, flying towards them with the mini guns firing. The cars in the street swerve out of the way as people scream along the sides. Jacob spots a truck with a ramp on the back side of it leading to the highway. He shifts gears again while activating his turbo again. He hit's the ramp dead on as they soar onto the highway. The cars on the highway come to a screeching halt as Jacob's car slides into the far left lane. The helicopter flies above the highway as Jacob slams his fist against the dashboard.

"Dang it! It's going to keep chasing us until we're dead! Blake, how is your driving skills with a motorcycle?" asks Jacob as Blake gives him a strange look.

"I use to drive them all the time with my dad at a dirt bike course… why?" asks Blake before Jacob pulls a lever between the seats. A pair of handles fold out in front of Blake as his seat is pushed forward while Faith's does the same. Plates of armor fold around them and above them as the car splits in half. Blake swerves around for a bit before finally stabilizing the motorcycle.

"Blake, can you hear me?" Jacob's voice comes through a speaker under Blake.

"Are you crazy!? Splitting like that on the highway, with a killer helicopter on our tail!?" Blake shouts at him.

"I did that so the helicopter would have a difficult time shooting at us. I'm sending you a rendezvous point on the tracker under your left arm." Jacob tells him as Blake looks under his left arm to see a GPS with a blinking yellow arrow on the screen.

"I see it." returns Blake as the helicopter fires next to him.

"In case we get split up, meet up there. Good luck." Jacob tells him as the connection is cut. Jacob pulls back on his motorcycle as he does a wheelie while pulling ahead. A pair of missiles fly past Blake and Faith as Jacob swerves in and out of traffic to avoid the missiles.

"Blake… I'm scared…" Faith tells him as he lets out a sigh.

"I know… bear with me Faith, this will be a bumpy ride." Blake replies.

Blake then accelerates as the helicopter continues the pursuit. A barrage of mini gun rounds fly past Blake as he swerves to the right. He gets too close to the rail as sparks begin to fly from the right side. Faith screams for a moment as Blake shakes his head, knowing that he has to do this for her. He accelerates again while moving past a few cars. A missile lands between the three cars he just passed before blowing them up. Blake knows that he can't endanger anymore lives as he looks for an exit. A mile down the road he finds an exit leading to a country farm. He takes it as the helicopter follows after them. A missile lands in front of them as they are flipped over and crash upside down before rolling over a few times. The two of them crawl out of the wrecked motorcycle with cuts and blood on their bodies. Blake picks Faith up before running away from the motorcycle. It explodes as the helicopter hovers in front of them, landing right there before them. Blake can see that there is no pilot.

"What… in the world?" asks Blake as he sets Faith down beside him.

"Blake Maverick… it has been a little while hasn't it?" a familiar voice comes from the helicopter.

"That voice… I know that voice!" Blake shouts as he steps in front of Faith.

"That's right… you thought that you killed me… but I'm back! Victor Sigma lives!" Victor's voice continues to come through the helicopters speakers.

"What do you want!?" Blake demands as Victor laughs.

"Simple really… die." Victor replies as the helicopter blows up. Blake turns around and hugs Faith as the explosion throws them away from that area. As they roll along the ground Faith looks at Blake who is struggling to keep her safe. Moments later as the two of them struggle to stand up a figure emerges from the flames of the destroyed helicopter. It's Hunter with a smirk across her face.

"Hunter!? You three are with Sigma!?" shouts Blake as he stands in front of Faith again.

"He created us… we are loyal to him and him alone." Hunter replies before rushing forward. Blake pushes Faith out of the way before moving out of the way himself. Hunter slashing to the side as Blake barely avoids the attack. He falls to the ground with his shirt cut across his chest.

"Blake!" Faith shouts.

"Blake, use the PAT." Zero tells him as Blake stands to his feet.

"You've been quiet today Zero." Blake says while looking towards Faith.

_**She's terrified… she's always getting into trouble because of me… this is enough! I've had enough! This is the last time something like this will happen to her!**_

"Zero!" Blake shouts as he presses the only button on the PAT.

Inside of the PET Zero is forced to hold out his arms and hold his head straight as the background begins to glow. Blake's body is slowly covered in a black body suit with circuits running through it. The blue gem that is on Zero's forehead begins to glow as it appears on Blake's forehead. The rest of Zero's armor begins to glow as it forms on Blake.

"I can feel it Zero… your determination to help me save Faith… wow… cross fusion was never like this. I feel stronger than that." Blake says as Hunter turns to him.

"A new form means nothing human, I will rip you apart!" shouts Hunter as she charges towards him again. As she slashes Blake runs forward and punches her in the face. She flies back and slams against a tree as it breaks in half.

"W-wow…" Blake thinks to himself as he clenches his right fist.

Hunter runs towards him again with a fury of punches this time. With each attack Blake moves faster and faster until he finally punches Hunter again. This time she blocks the attack but is still sent flying backwards. Instantly Zero's saber forms in his right hand.

"I didn't even summon this weapon…" Blake mutters.

"I summoned it for you." Zero speaks up as Blake smiles.

He runs towards Hunter before slashing sideways in front of her. She leaps backwards as a cut appears on her chest. She extends her arm saber even more before dragging it along the ground while running towards Blake. Hunter then leaps into the air before falling towards the newly transformed hero. Blake uppercuts as she is sent flying upwards.

"Area Steal!" thinks Blake as he is suddenly in front of Hunter in the air.

"W-What!?" Hunter gasps as Blake slashes three times. Three deep cuts appear on her body before she disappears. Blake lands safely on the ground as he looks towards Faith with a smile on his face.

"Are you… going to fall down again?" she asks as Blake laughs.

"No, this time is different. Come on, I need to take you home somehow." Blake tells her as she climbs on his back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asks him as he begins to run towards the city.

"I'm sure. Hold on tight now!" he tells her as he leaps into the air.

_**This is one of the best moments in my life. The girl that I care for is clinging to my back at the moment… but all good things come to an end sooner or later…**_

"Thank you Blake." Faith says to him as he sets her down in front of her apartment complex along a long road with trees above them. It is night time now with the moon in the sky.

"You're welcome… Faith?" asks Blake as she smiles.

"What is it?" she asks.

"I… I can't… do this anymore…" he tells her while looking away.

"What do you mean?" she asks while taking a step closer.

"I can't… be with you anymore Faith!" Blake tells her as shock hits her face.

"Blake…? What are you saying…?" questions Faith as she shakes her head.

"As long as you are with me… your life is in danger. I thought that with Sigma dead you were safe being around me… he's still alive… I… don't want to see you hurt again…" Blake tells her as she begins to cry.

"Please Blake, don't do this to me… I don't care about the danger, as long as I am with you! So please… please don't do this…" Faith tells him as Blake begins to cry himself.

"I'm sorry Faith… I will not put your life at risk ever again… goodbye." he replies before running past her. She could clearly see his tears falls off of his face. She falls to the ground on her knees before crying even more.

"Blake… please come back to me… please… Blake…" she mutters to herself as Blake disappears in the distance.

_**I'm a monster for doing this… I know it. I'm not going to put her life in danger anymore… I care for her, that is why I am doing this… I love you Faith…**_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Scene 1 End**


	20. ZNC7 Scene 2: Two Masks, One Legend

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 7: Dirt In The Wound**

**Scene 2: Two Masks, One Legend**

**

* * *

**Jacob walks through the halls of the Official Net Battlers HQ, searching for Blake as he enters the activity hall where at least a dozen men are playing sports or talking to each other. He finds Blake sitting in a chair against the far wall with his arms crossed and his head hanging.

"What's up? I haven't seen you in days, then suddenly you call me in here?" Jacob asks while crossing his own arms.

"Sorry about that, I just wanted to talk to someone that's all." replies Blake.

"Sure, but let's go somewhere else. I'm all for the whole workout thing, but these guys smell like wild animals." Jacob comments.

"We do not!" one of them shouts.

_**I feel horrible for what I did to Faith, but at least it is the last time something will happen to her because of me. At least talking about it will help… I hope. So Jacob leads above ground where anyone can go for a private talk… I'd like to think. We're talking about a secret base here! This place is loaded with equipment to hear the slightest bit of sound! I'm sure the person monitoring this conversation is eating popcorn at the moment. I'm sure the clear sunny sky makes it all the better for the person.**_

"I see… you pushed her aside to protect her…" Jacob says while closing his eyes.

"You may think of me as a coward, but I didn't want to put her life in danger anymore." Blake speaks as Jacob lets out a sigh.

"Listen Blake, I'll never think of you as a coward, nor do I think any less of you because of this. But if you want my honest opinion, you shouldn't have done that to her." Jacob tells him as Blake looks towards the ground.

"I know, but this was for her safety." returns Blake.

"Was this really for her? Or was this for your own feelings?" asks Jacob as Blake snaps his head him.

"What was that?" Blake questions as he begins to grit his teeth.

"Did you stop to consider how she feels? It's all nice and heroic through your eyes… but what about her?" asks Jacob as Blake lowers his head.

"I… I don't know." replies Blake as Jacob puts his right hand on Blake's shoulder.

"I understand why you did this, but you have to make sure that this was really the right thing to do. I can't convince you otherwise." Jacob tells him as Blake lets out a sigh.

"Well thanks for the talk." Blake tells him as he walks away.

"Hey, I'm older than you remember? Experience comes with age!" replies Jacob with a smile. At that moment his PET begins to beep as Commander's hologram appears on his shoulder.

"You have a call from Stanley Charles." speaks Commander as Blake stops.

"Put him through." replies Jacob as he turns away from Blake.

"Yes sir." Commander returns.

"Yes? At Chase? Sir you know that I don't like to go there… yes sir… right away. I will sir." Jacob says with a lower tone of voice.

"Orders?" asks Blake as he turns around.

"Yeah… we've got a mission… sort of." returns Jacob.

"How can we sort of have a mission?" Blake asks as his friend seems to ignore him while calling for a ride.

_**So we're suppose to go to Chase Inc, where Faith's father works… just wonderful. I really don't want to see him. But guess what? We went by that freaking jet again! I hate that awful thing! I would rather fall out of the high speed jet and die off like that one movie star… the guy with the pony tail I think. When we arrive at Chase Inc, we are forced to land streets away from it in an abandoned parking lot… go figure. This mission is suppose to be secret… I guess. The building is huge with thirty stories of massive-ness.**_

"Hi, we're here to see Ivan." Jacob tells one of the secretaries at the front of the first floor.

"I'm sorry, but Ivan is not taking any visitors right now. You'll have to come back at a later time." the woman with black hair and smug face tells him as she types away on her computer.

_**Figures. All this way for nothing.**_

"Come on." Jacob says as he leads Blake outside and towards the side of the building.

"What are we…" Blake starts as Jacob searches a bunched up pile of bushes next to the building.

"Here it is!" Jacob interrupts as Blake takes notice to a ventilation shaft leading upwards.

"You're kidding me… we're going to go through there, and up to the top?" asks Blake as Jacob pulls the cover off.

"Not all the way to the top, just on the fifteenth floor." replies Jacob as he crawls inside.

"I hate you." returns Blake as he follows him. He grabs the cover to the shaft and puts it back on while inside.

"Just follow me." Jacob says as he begins to climb upwards.

_**This was not fun at all… just not fun. For one, everyone knows that most heroes who travel through the shafts are found sooner or later. Second of all, I've got Jacob's butt in my face the entire time. I'm really glad that he has not had anything spicy, because we're struggling to move upwards in here! Just as we reach a point to where we can crawl Jacob pulls up a vent cover that leads into a bathroom. Figures… We sneak into a room with a man in a white lab coat sitting at a desk with a computer in front of him.**_

"I've been expecting you Jacob. Who is your friend?" asks the man as he stands to his feet and turns around. His glasses shine due to the light in the room at the moment while Jacob walks up to him and gives him a hug, which shocks Blake.

"Ivan, this is my friend Blake Maverick." Jacob introduces as Ivan walks over to him.

"I see, so this is the young man you mentioned before. Seems like he is in a mess right now." Ivan comments before going back to his computer.

_**A mess? Just what has Jacob been telling him?**_

"We're here on Official business however… can you give us the program?" asks Jacob while Ivan turns his head.

"Of course, but you will have to get into the data vault. John Chase does not want it to be stolen so he placed it in the independent server. But that may not even pose a problem for you and Commander." Ivan replies with a smile.

"Let's not forget who programmed him!" Jacob returns with a smirk.

"We should also never forget who taught you." Ivan says as he turns around again.

"I also have orders to bring you back with me… finally." Jacob tells him as Ivan crosses his arms while letting out a sigh.

"Is that so? It looks like I'll be needing this then…" Ivan says as he reaches into the top left drawer of his desk. He pulls out a red PET with no emblem on it before strapping it to his left wrist.

"Lead the way." Blake says, feeling a bit left out of the plan.

"My Navi will lead the way Blake, Jacob and I have something that we need to take care of." Ivan tells him as he and Jacob run out of the room.

_**What the…? I'm suppose to complete the mission by myself? I hate you Jacob.**_

A light above him begins to shine even brighter as it leads out of the room by moving to another light. Blake follows the brightest lights down the hallway as Ivan looks around the corner to watch him run off. A smile goes across his face as he turns around to follow Jacob. The two of them run through the halls as Ivan takes his lab coat off to wrap it around a mans head before pulling him down to the ground. Jacob stomps on his stomach as the man blacks out.

"Haven't lost your touch have you?" asks Jacob while pulling the man into a nearby closet.

"I've got to keep fit you know." jokes Ivan as they continue on their way.

The two of them turn a corner as they run into a squad of five guards. Jacob leaps over one of them before pushing him into Ivan who slams him up against the wall with all of his might. Jacob trips another as Ivan catches him and slams him into the wall as well. Jacob then turns one around and punches him in the face as he staggers back into the front two who turn around to take aim with their pistols. Ivan takes a couple of sword battle chips out of his coat pocket before throwing them at the two guards. The chips hit the hands of the guards as they drop their pistols before holding their hands. Jacob jumps into the air before kicking both of them with a split kick. They continue on their way as Ivan picks up the battle chips along the way.

Blake finds himself in a room with blue nothing but servers all around. The walls and ceiling are blue with data constantly running through them. At the end of this large room is a single terminal surrounded by two smaller terminals. A red standard Navi appears in front of him while pointing to the wall on Blake's right. Blake walks over there to see a hidden terminal behind the wall of data. He touches the wall only to see that his hand passes right through. He walks through as Zero appears on the PET as a hologram.

"Be careful in there Zero, we don't know what is waiting for us." Blake tells him as his Navi nods his head.

"I can feel something very powerful watching us." comments Zero as Blake lets out a sigh.

"Please… don't tell me that." Blake returns as Zero is sent into the cyber world. The cyber world is the same color as the outside, blue. As Zero materializes an entire army of custom Navi's surround him, all with their swords ready. Every one of them is wearing dark blue armor with no helmet on. The custom Navi's have no face but still have a head.

"Blake…!" Zero shouts as Blake scrolls through the folders of the PET.

"I'm on it!" Blake shouts as he taps the screen in front of him.

Zero leaps into the air as his recoil rods materialize on his arms before the handles form in his hands. A group of Navi's jump after him as he falls towards them. As he comes into contact with them he jabs rapidly at them before deleting them instantly. As he lands he slams the recoil rods down on the cyber ground which creates a shockwave that cuts a line through the groups of Navi's in front of him. Just as quickly as the enemy Navi's were deleted, the same amount appears in front of him. Zero takes a step back as his recoil rods disappear before his saber forms in his right hand. Zero leaps towards the group of Navi's while pulling his saber back. As he lands all of them that were surrounding him fly up into the air with cut marks across their chest plates.

Jacob kicks down a door that leads into a room with no light except the light that comes from the window. A man sits at a desk right in front of the window with his hands joined together in front of his face. The lights turn on as he stands to his feet while shaking his head. Jacob takes a deep breath as he and Ivan walk inside with their fists clenched. The man walks around the desk before stopping at the front while leaning against it. His eyes are a dark blue color while his hair is a slick black color. He wears a black suit with no tie and he wears the jacket unbuttoned. He taps his black dress shoes on the floor as Ivan and Jacob stop in front of him.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in. Ivan, why are you with this pest?" asks the man as Jacob grits his teeth.

"Is that how you treat your son… father?" asks Jacob as he lowers his head a bit.

Zero slams his saber onto the ground as another shockwave fires out and deletes a massive number of Navi's. As Zero regains his stamina another group of Navi's form beside him and begin to rush him from the left. Zero then jumps into the air as he takes aim with his pistol. His color changes to black as he opens fire. His bullets land around the Navi's before exploding, taking them out quickly. Zero lands safely before falling to one knee as he begins to gasp for cyber air. Even more Navi's appear in front of him as Zero lets out a sigh. He dashes towards them again while two hammers form on his back.

"Son? You are not my son, nor have I ever considered you my son." the man replies as Ivan takes a step forward.

"That is no way to treat your son John! You should give him the love a son deserves!" Ivan shouts at him as the man snaps his head towards him.

"What are you doing with this little brat? I told you to work on the project and that's what I mean! Get back to work!" John shouts back as Ivan grabs him by the jacket.

"Listen here, I'm finished with your project and I am finished with working under you! You have no respect for those around you! Not even your son!" Ivan shouts at him as John just laughs at him.

"Why should I call him my son? He may be a Chase, but he is nothing like me." replies John as Jacob pulls Ivan back.

"You're right, I am nothing like you…" Jacob says before punching his father in the face. John flies over the desk before crashing into his chair.

"Vincent!" shouts John as Ivan looks towards Jacob.

"I, Vincent Chase am not going to be disowned by a man like you! I am disowning you father! No, John Chase!" shouts Vincent as he holds his PET up.

"How dare you!" shouts John as he leaps towards Vincent. Ivan then tackles him in mid air as they fall to the ground.

"Stop it now! We're done here! We're going to take the Hikari Program with us!" Ivan tells him as he stands to his feet.

"Not if I can help it!" John replies as he presses a button on a device in his jacket pocket.

"What was that!?" yells Vincent as he looks around. Alarms begin to sound as Ivan looks at his PET.

"This is not good… he's activated the deletion of the independent server. Zero will be deleted if he does not get out of there!" Ivan tells him as John begins to laugh.

"Is there anything we can do to help him!?" asks Vincent as he opens his PET.

"Blues!" Ivan shouts as an emblem suddenly appears on his PET. This emblem is half white and half black. The top left to the middle is white while the bottom right to the middle is black.

Zero falls to the ground as the Navi's surround him with their swords ready to delete him. The cyber world begins to shake as the red standard Navi appears in front of Zero. His body begins to glow as his form changes. A spike forms on his helmet while long silver hair grows out of the back. Black visors slide over his eyes as two swords form on his hands. He begins to spin around as a red cyclone engulfs the enemy Navi's in one attack. At that moment Blues picks up Zero and logs out as the entire cyber world crumbles and falls apart.

"Good work Blues." Ivan tells the Navi before looking towards John.

"Just… who are you!?" he asks as Ivan actually pulls a mask off of his face, revealing a face with dark blue eyes and white blonde hair with black along the sides and in the back.

"My name is Enzan Blaze, an ace Official Net Battler and the true leader of the Net Officials!" he reveals as John shakes his head.

"All this time you were working undercover! But why!?" shouts John as he stands to his feet.

"Ever since your dirty hands destroyed my company, I knew you were crooked. You used every dirty trick in the book to obtain power, and that made me sick. I positioned myself here a very long time ago, so I could keep an eye on you, and wait for the moment I could nail you. You were so careful that I could never find a thing against you. Until you began working with Victor Sigma… you were the one who supplied him with his tools!" Enzan explains as John scoffs at him.

"So what? How did you come across this brat?" asks John while looking at Vincent.

"I came across him as you yelled at him one night. I took him in as I would my own child, and I did take him in as my own. I raised him with my daughter, and trained his natural talent in programming. I completed what you failed to do John, to be a father." Enzan tells him as John begins to laugh.

"So what? You trained a misfit, good job. He's the reason your wife died as well." John tells him as Enzan punches him in the face. He punched him so hard that two of his teeth fell out. He slams up against the wall as Enzan pins him against it.

"Don't you ever mention her in my presence! Because of you… because of you Meiru…" Enzan starts as he throws John across the room and against the desk. "I lost my wife because of you." he adds as Blake runs in the room.

"Someone had better tell me what's going on here!" shouts Blake as John pulls out a pistol and aims towards Blake.

"Blake!" shouts Vincent as he jumps in front of John's view. The pistol is fired as everyone gasps, while Vincent falls to the ground on his back.

"Jacob!" shouts Blake as he runs at John, stopping in front of him before spinning around and kicking him right in the jaw. John flies across the room as Enzan picks Vincent up.

"He needs medical attention now! Call for help Blake!" Enzan tells him as Blake nods his head and opens his PET.

"This is Blake Maverick calling HQ! Come in!" Blake yells into his PET.

"He's dying…" thinks Enzan as the blood runs to the floor.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Scene 2 End**


	21. ZNC7 Scene 3: Departure

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 7: Dirt In The Wound**

**Scene 3: Departure**

**

* * *

**_**Once again, a friend's life is at stake because of me. I know that I sound like someone who is just whining and complaining about it… but it's true! Jacob took a bullet for me… that bullet was meant for me, I should be in the hospital bed, not him. Anyone that is around me is in danger, be it Jacob or Faith… I could use a hug from her right about now…**_

"He's in a stable condition right now, but I want him to stay here so I can keep a close eye on him." Adam tells Blake and Enzan as he walks away from them.

_**Okay, so now that I have been briefed on the situation… this guy who I thought was Ivan, turns out to be the legendary net battler Enzan Blaze, who was doing undercover work this entire time. Also, Jacob Wright turns out to be Vincent Chase, son of the man who shot him by mistake. Wow, I'm living the soap opera life right now… so I wonder where my evil twin brother is?**_

"You shouldn't be upset with Vincent for keeping his real name from you. He had his reasons." Enzan says to Blake as they sit in the room with Vincent, side by side. Enzan is now wearing a red jacket with a white shirt under it. He is wearing camouflaged pants with brown boots.

"To be honest I'm more confused than upset." he replies as he glances at the wires hooked up to Vincent. He then looks to the table on the left side with Vincent's PET on it.

"He wanted to tell you so many times, but he knew that it would put you in danger." Enzan tells him as they watch Vincent breath.

"I can understand that… I guess." Blake says while taking a deep breath.

"Vincent… he has a lot of respect for you, I can tell." Enzan says as Blake turns his head to look at him.

"How can you tell?" asks Blake with a curious look.

"I've spoken to him several times before this, and each time he would speak so highly of you. He has been alone most of his life… I believe he sees you as a brother." Enzan answers.

"A brother…? I miss my brother right now, and my sister. I haven't talked to them since they moved in with my relatives. All because of the Maverick virus thing." Blake says while crossing his arms.

"I imagine you miss them so much…" Enzan says as Blake nods his head.

"I do." he speaks.

"I meant your mother and your father." Enzan says as Blake's eyes open wide.

"You have no idea sir… I want to be able to reverse time and save them… my father was a victim of that mad man. My mother… she slowly stopped eating and grieved herself to death in such a short time… I want my family back sir…" Blake tells him as he begins to cry.

"You can call me Enzan." he tells Blake as he puts his arm around him and pulls him closer. Blake was a bit shocked but he could feel the comfort that was coming from Enzan.

"I miss them so much…" he continues as Enzan closes his eyes.

"I too have lost someone that was dear to me because of Victor Sigma." Enzan says as Blake calms himself down.

"You did? Who?" he asks while wiping the tears away.

"My wife… her name was Meiru. It's funny how things turned out with her and myself. She was originally the love of anothers life, but later on she became the love of my life." Enzan tells him as Blake thinks about Faith.

"Who was this guy?" asks Blake as Enzan smiles.

"You know him, his name is Netto Hikari." Enzan says as Blake pulls his head back a bit.

"How did you end up with his love?" asks Blake while feeling like he is invading privacy.

"We were the closest of friends, he and I. Netto made me promise one day, that if anything ever happened to him… I would marry Meiru and take care of her. Of course I thought he was just talking like an idiot so I agreed to it just to shut him up. Sadly… he was killed weeks later." Enzan explains.

"So then you married Meiru?" asks Blake, now with his curiosity spiked.

"Yeah, like I promised. At first it was like a business arrangement, both of us did it because Netto wanted it. Very slowly, we began to fall for each other. We ended up having a child, but because of some virus that was given to Meiru while she was in the hospital, she died as she gave birth to our daughter. The one who made the virus was none other than Sigma, who paid the hospital to give it to her. It made me sick…" Enzan explains.

"I'm so sorry." Blake tells him as Enzan lowers his head.

"But that is one of the reasons why I took Vincent in. His mother also died as she gave birth to him, but it was because she was already extremely weak. Because of this, his father hates him. In his eyes Vincent is the one who took her away from him. I took him in as a son, but raised him and my daughter differently. They know that they are not blood related, but they are close friends. You know… I see a lot of myself in Vincent, just as I see some of Netto in you. Please do your best to support Vincent and help him through the years." Enzan says to him as Blake gives him a strange look.

"Enzan." Blues speaks up as Enzan looks at his PET.

"What is it?" he asks as Blues appears on the PET screen.

"Your daughter is here and on her way to see Vincent." Blues tells him as Enzan lets out a sigh.

"Thanks for the warning…" he returns as Blues image disappears.

"I should leave." Blake says as Enzan shakes his head.

"No, you're fine." he tells him as a girl walks through the door.

Blake turns around to see that she has the same hair color as her father. Along the side of her head and below she has a dark blonde color with her hair reaching down to her hips. She looks around the room with her green eyes as she holds her hands in front of her. She is wearing a red jacket that looks like her fathers, but instead of a white shirt she is wearing a light blue shirt under the jacket. The girl walks into the room before sliding something into the left pocket of her dark blue jeans. Blake looks down to see that she is wearing white shoes.

"Daddy, how is he doing?" she asks as she walks over to her father, basically ignoring Blake.

"He's in a stable condition and will be just fine. He's resting for now." Enzan replies as he looks towards Blake.

"That's a relief…" she says while taking a deep breath,.

"By the way, this is Blake Maverick, a close friend of Vincent." Enzan tells her as she turns around to look at him.

"H-Hi… my name is Angel Blaze, it's n-nice to meet you…" she says to him as he stands to his feet.

"It's nice to meet you too Angel." he returns as she seems a bit flustered.

"I'm going to go get you something to drink daddy, I'll be back." she tells him before walking out of the room.

"She's a bit shy at first, but sooner or later she will warm up to you." Enzan says as he smiles.

"I understand, I use to be like that when I was in elementary school." Blake replies as Enzan gives him a smirk.

"Well, we should go get something to eat. I'm starving and I know you are too." Enzan says as he stands to his feet. Angel walks through the door as he grabs the drink and continues to walk through the door. She looks at him before looking at Blake with a blank expression on her face.

"Wait for me dad!" she shouts before following after him.

_**Oh joy… hospital food.**_

"Since we're in the city, I know this place that serves some of the best steaks I've ever had." Enzan says as they walk into the elevator.

_**Or not… I haven't had a good steak in a long time…**_

"Dad, when do you think Vincent will be awake?" asks Angel while holding her hands below her shirt.

"Knowing him, he was awake the entire time." he replies as Angel seems to cheer up from that response.

"Are they gone yet?" Vincent asks his Navi as Commander appears on the window seal looking down at the busy street. He can see the three of them getting inside of a limo and shutting the door. As they drive away the sun beams off of the limo and straight into the window.

"They have left Vincent." replies Commander as Vincent opens his eyes.

"It's been such a long time since I've seen Angel… her voice has changed quite a bit. I bet her figure has changed too." Vincent says as he chuckles a bit.

"Now that Master Enzan has fully returned to us, what will happen now?" asks Commander as he fades away from the window and appears on the PET screen.

"Who knows… I do know that he has taken a lot of interest in Blake, most likely due to him losing his mother and father the way he has. I'm sure that Enzan is trying to treat him like a father would… I'm tired…" Vincent says as he closes his eyes.

"Sleep well sir." Commander speaks as the PET screen turns off slowly.

Enzan, his daughter and Blake arrive at the restaurant not even five minutes later as they prepare to get out of the limo. As they exit Blake's eye catches something that shocks him. Sitting inside of the very same restaurant is Faith with a few of her friends. Blake turns away from the window as he bumps into Angel. She almost falls to the ground as her father catches her just in time.

"I'm so sorry Angel! I didn't mean to bump into you!" he tells her as Angel shakes her head.

"That's okay, I should have paid attention to what you were doing." she replies as Enzan gives him an odd look.

"Come on you two, I'm hungry." Enzan says as he walks past them.

_**Oh man, Faith is inside of the restaurant… fate, you are so cruel to me. So I think we are going to sit on the other side of the building, where she can't spot me… I was wrong. We sit down the same table line as she does. Wonderful. At least my back is towards her, so she can't see my face.**_

"Blake?" a females voice speaks up behind him as he jumps a bit.

_**Please! Please don't be Faith!**_

"Yes?" asks Blake as he turns around to see Faith standing there with her arms behind her back.

_**Huzzah.**_

"Hi Faith, how have you been?" asks Blake, feeling like he just loaded a shotgun and handed it to her.

"I've been better… how have you been?" she asks as Enzan crosses his arms. Angel sits there while watching the two talk with each other.

"How is Jacob doing? I'm surprised that he's not with you right now." Faith says as her voice lowers a bit.

"Jacob is in the hospital right now." Enzan speaks up.

"What!? What happened to him!?" she gasps as she takes the empty seat next to Blake.

_**Enzan, you suck.**_

"He was shot while trying to protect Blake." Enzan replies as their food arrives.

"He's fine though. He is resting at the hospital not too far from here." Blake says as Faith looks at him with such pain in her eyes. At that moment Enzan makes a face as if a revelation just hit him.

"Would you like to come back with us to see him?" asks Enzan as Angel looks towards him.

"I'd like to yes, let me go talk with my friends for a moment." Faith replies as she walks off.

"Blake, what is wrong with you? That girl is basically crying for you to hold her." Enzan suddenly says to him as Blake turns to look at Faith who is just sitting down with her friends.

"I know…" returns Blake as he turns back around.

"From what I can see, you're dying to hold her in your arms. So just do it." Enzan tells him as he begins to eat his food.

_**Enzan is right… I haven't been very considerate of her feelings have I? I've been selfish. After we eat Faith follows us to the limo outside before her and Angel get inside followed by me and Enzan.**_

"How has school been for you?" asks Blake while looking at Faith.

"It's school, what else do you expect from it." she replies as Angel laughs a bit.

"Enzan." Blues speaks up as he appears on Enzan's right leg.

"What is it Blues?" he asks.

"Commander is sending us a video feed from the hospital." replies Blues as a hologram screen appears in above Enzan's PET. It shows three figures walking down a long hallway in the darkness. As they near the camera the light that remains reveals the figures to be Infinity, Epsilon and Hunter.

"What are they doing there!?" Blake shouts as Enzan tells the driver to speed up.

"That is the Navi that attacked us on the day you…" starts Faith before she turns away from everyone to hide her face.

"Blake, as soon as we get there fuse with your Navi. You girls should stay in the limo." Enzan tells them as the two of them shake their heads.

"You're going to need someone to help watch after Vincent." Angel tells her father as Faith nods her head.

"I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing." Faith adds in.

_**Wow, we sound like one of those animes where all of the heroes make up their minds.**_

"Alright, but you two must be careful." Enzan tells them as he exits the limo, followed by Blake and the girls.

"Zero." Blake says as he holds his PAT up.

"It has been awhile since you and I did this Blues." Enzan says to his Navi.

"I haven't lost my touch." Blues replies as Enzan chuckles a bit.

"Well let's see if I have lost my touch or not… syncro chip! Slot in!" Enzan shouts as the two of them fuse with their Navi's. All the girls could see is two spheres of light before it dies down.

"Let's go Blake." Enzan tells him as his face mask closes.

"Right behind you." replies Blake as Enzan runs ahead.

"Please… stay out of danger." Blake says as he glances towards Faith.

He then runs after Enzan before an explosion on the roof catches their attention. Enzan stops as Blake runs up behind him. Out of the roof Vincent leaps into the air while fused with Commander. He takes aim with his gun blades as Hunter leaps after him, rapidly attacking him with her saber. Vincent struggles to defend himself as Hunter disappears right before a massive blast from Epsilon's cannon hits Vincent. He falls to towards the ground as Enzan appears under him, catching him right away.

"They… they are after… me." Vincent tells Enzan before passing out, losing his fused form. Enzan can tell that the fight with them has taken all of his remaining strength. He checks to see if the wound has opened again, thankfully it is still closed.

"Commander, thank you for making sure the wound did not open again." Enzan says as Commander appears on the PET screen.

"Just make sure you teach them a lesson…" Commander replies before falling down to the cyber ground in the PET.

"He used all of his power to keep Vincent safe… thank you Commander." thinks Enzan as he puts Vincent down in front of the girls.

"We will protect him for sure, count on it daddy!" Angel tells her father as he turns around to see Blake already fighting with the Navi's.

Blake leaps into the air with his saber ready to attack. Hunter falls down towards him with her own saber ready for attack. As the two pass by each other there is a small flash of light. Blake lands on the roof as a cut mark appears on his face while a small bit of blood runs from it. Hunter lands on the ground as her left shoulder begins to spark. She falls to one knee as Enzan walks up to her, with his left hand transforming into a sword. Blake leaps into the air again as Epsilon fires another blast from his cannon. He then moves it up towards Blake's direction as he disappears from view, suddenly appearing right behind Epsilon. Just as he prepares to attack, a shockwave hits him and sends him flying towards the edge of the roof. He grabs the edge just in time as he struggles to get back on the roof.

"Blake!" shouts Faith as she looks towards him.

"This time, I will delete you Zero." Infinity tells Blake as he pulls himself back up to the roof.

"I'm not one to go on with a lot of words." Blake says as his pistol appears in his left hand. "So just shut up and fight Navi." adds Blake as Infinity's buster sword appears in his right hand.

"As you wish, human." returns Infinity as Hunter slams down on the roof between them. Enzan lands beside Blake as the Navi's take a step towards the beaten down Hunter, who is sparking and missing her right arm.

"Hunter!" Epsilon shouts as he rushes to her aid.

"Don't worry about me… I'll return to base… get them." she tells them as she disappears from view.

"You… just who are you?" asks Infinity as Enzan's right hand transforms into another sword.

"My name is not important." replies Enzan as Epsilon instantly takes aim with his cannon and fires at Enzan.

He and Blake leap out of the way as Infinity attacks Blake from the side and kicks him to the front of the hospital. Epsilon fires another blast as Enzan dodges it with ease. Infinity lands in front of Blake who is just standing to his feet. The white Navi rushes him as he pulls his massive sword back, preparing to strike. Blake rolls out of the way as the Navi slams his sword down, breaking the ground under him. Blake then stands to his feet as Infinity appears in front of him with his eyes glowing. He slashes across Blake's chest as a massive cut can be seen on his chest. He flies back against a building as Infinity chases after him. Enzan takes his time in getting closer to Epsilon as the large Navi soon becomes tired and stops his attack. Enzan takes the time to rush him from the left side. Epsilon turns to him as Enzan begins to spin, creating a red twister that begins to rapidly move towards the large Navi. Epsilon fires another blast at the twister as it cuts right through it, with Enzan being nowhere to be found. Suddenly a blade cuts through his stomach armor as he turns his head to see Enzan behind him.

"Next time, don't waste do much of your energy on me. You should go back to base as well." Enzan tells him as Epsilon disappears.

Enzan looks towards the direction Blake was in last as he can see a hole in the building across from them. At that moment Infinity flies out of the building with sparks flying around him. Blake leaps out of the building after the blue Navi with two hammers on his back. They disappear as his saber appears again, pulling it back to attack the enemy Navi. At that moment Infinity pulls his sword around and swings it at Blake, who blocks the attack. The power behind the attack sends him back to the ground at an incredible speed. He slams into the ground as Enzan jumps down in front of him. Infinity attacks him from the side as the two begin to slash towards the other. Enzan blocks each attack as he attacks after each swing. Infinity thrusts forwards suddenly as Enzan is caught off guard. The blue Navi pins him up against a tree as Blake tackles him from the side. Infinity quickly grabs him by the helmet and releases Enzan.

"The fight is over and I win human." Infinity tells him as Enzan falls to the ground.

"Daddy!" shouts Angel as she runs over to him.

This… is not… over just yet!" Blake tells him as the blue gem begins to glow on his forehead. Suddenly Infinity's grips tightens as the light dies down. He then puts his right hand on Infinity's chest as the blue Navi pushes it away.

"Do you really think that you are the only one with the ability to absorb data? I will show you how wrong you are human!" Infinity tells him as he takes his other hand and places it on Blake's helmet.

Blake begins to scream out in pain as his form becomes blurry. Bits and pieces of his armor fade away as Infinity's eyes glow. Blake becomes silent as he loses his fusion with Zero. Infinity tosses him towards Enzan and Angel before looking towards Faith and Vincent. He then disappears as Blake struggles to his feet. Faith runs over to him as he stands up straight, instantly looking at his PET.

"Zero…?" he asks as nothing but static appears on the screen. He takes notice that the emblem on the PET is gone.

"Are you okay Blake?" Faith asks him as he looks at her before looking back at his PET.

"Zero! Zero please respond! Zero!" he shouts as Enzan lifts his head.

"No… they were after Zero this entire time…" he mutters as the fusion is canceled with Blues.

"Zero! This is all my fault!" Blake shouts as Faith hugs him.

"Calm down Blake, it will be okay." she tells him as he pushes her away.

"This is my fault! I was not strong enough! Zero is gone because of me! I couldn't protect him, just like I couldn't protect you! I'm weak!" Blake yells as she hugs him again.

"Shh… calm down Blake. You've been trying to protect me this entire time, I get that… so please… let me protect you now." she tells him as Blake closes his eyes and finally hugs her back with tears in his eyes. Faith then holds him tightly as Vincent wakes up, seeming out of it for a moment. He looks towards Enzan who is just sitting up while holding his stomach. He looks at Angel before turning to Blake and Faith who are still holding each other.

"Wow, how long have I been out?" he asks as he sits up.

* * *

**End of Chapter 7**


	22. ZNC8 Scene 1: The Normal Life?

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 8: Taking Stock**

**Scene 1: The Normal Life...?**

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**_**After Zero was taken from me… I felt so powerless. I feel like I am nothing without Zero… it's strange though, how far I have come along with Navi's just by having Zero with me. I miss him so very much… a month has passed since Infinity absorbed him. I returned to my house, finding it the same as I left it. I'll admit, I missed going to school. I missed having a normal life… do you blame me? I think the only thing I didn't miss was my history teacher Julia West, who freaked out at the sight of me walking into the classroom, again.**_

"Blake, can you give me some of your ketchup?" asks Faith as the two of them eat lunch under a tree outside of the school.

_**Since that day the relationship between me and Faith has never been better. We've become inseparable, and holding her hand is a plus. I could get use to this sort of thing, but part of me still feels left out with Zero gone. Maybe it's time to just accept the fact that Zero is not going to come back to me. Still… I miss him so much… imagine that, me missing a Navi. Someone who hated them to begin with… it's strange how things turn out.**_

"Attention all students, there is five minutes remaining until lunch is over. Please prepare to return to your classes, thank you." the principles voice sounds throughout the schoolyards through the speakers all around the building.

"We better get moving, last thing I need is another tardy slip." Blake jokes with her as she pulls him towards her.

"I wouldn't mind being late with you." she says with a quick giggle to follow.

"Come on Faith, we should really get ready for class…" he continues as she pulls ever harder.

Suddenly Blake falls forward on top of her as a cool breeze brushes past them. The two of them stare into each others eyes. Faith looks away as her face becomes cherry red, just as Blake's is doing the same. At that moment he stands up while extending his hand to her, helping her stand to her feet.

"Let's get to class before we're late." he tells her while smiling at her.

_**That was a close call. Just a few more moments of that and I couldn't take it anymore. I think we'll keep this story T-Rated too… well, after that… moment… we were late for class, but Faith didn't seem to care. Actually she seemed really happy that day, regardless of being chewed out by our teacher. After school was over I walked home by myself because Faith was picked up by her father. It was getting dark outside and showing signs of rain so I stayed inside of the house. I can still feel danger around me, but I have no way of protecting myself now, at least from a Navi.**_

"There is nothing to do… I'm bored." Blake says to himself as he taps his finger on his PET. He opens it and closes it for a few minutes before lying down on the couch in the living room.

"I can remember the times when I was happy to be home, waiting for my family to come home as well. Why did it all turn out like this?" he asks himself while putting his arms behind his head.

"I guess there is no use asking that now, since everything is said and done." he answers himself before making a stressed face.

"Great, now I'm talking to myself. Wonderful." he says before sitting up and looking around the living room.

He looks towards a picture with him and his dad at a lake fishing. Blake looks much younger with less hair as he holds a large fish in his arms with a huge smile across his face. A tear rolls down his left cheek as he stands to his feet. At that time his PET begins to beep at him. Instantly he opens it in hopes that it was Zero.

"Zero!?" he shouts as heavy breathing is heard on the other side.

"Blake! It's Faith! Please come help us! These guys ambushed me and my dad before we left our parking lot! Please hel-" "Hey what are you doing!?" a deep voice shouts at her as the feed is cut.

"Faith! Agh!!" yells Blake as he runs out his front door and into the rain that is pouring down at the moment.

_**I don't know who these guys are, but they have picked the wrong freaking time to mess with Faith and her father.**_

Blake arrives half an hour later as he gasps for air while it continues to rain. He suddenly hears Faith screaming in the distance as he runs towards her scream. He runs into the parking lot of her apartment complex as he takes notice to a tool shed in the corner of the parking lot. He can see figures moving around on the inside before hearing another scream. Blake charges towards the shed with no intentions of holding back anything. Inside of the shed three men with no hair have Faith surrounded in a corner, all of them with a sick and twisted look on their face. The three of them are wearing old clothes that look extremely dirty. Faith curls up into a ball while shaking as she looks to her father who is knocked out next to her. One of them grabs her left leg as the door to the shed bursts open. The three men twirl around as Blake stands at the door with his fists clenched. A bit of blood drips from his hands as the three men walk closer to him. These men are easily twice the size of Blake.

"Who is this kid?" one man asks as Blake begins to breath hard.

"Whoever he is, he's not very smart." another says as he attempts to grab Blake.

At that moment Blake punches the mans armpit as the man cries out in pain. Another man punches Blake in the face which sends him flying out of the shed. Blake hits the ground and slides for a moment before the three men walk out of the shed and close the door behind them.

"We wouldn't want our little prize to get away." one taunts as Blake stands to his feet.

"Thank you for shutting the door… I wouldn't want her to see this!" Blake shouts as he runs towards the one he punched in the armpit.

The man swings at him with his other arm as Blake repeats the same attack, this time with much more force behind his punch. The man falls over as he coughs up blood. Blake raises his right arm into the air before slamming his elbow into the mans neck, forcing him to cough up even more blood. The man struggles to breath after that as Blake glares at the other two men. One lunges at him as Blake rises into the air with his knee first, crashing into the mans face, nose first. The man staggers back as blood runs from his nose, angering him even more. Blake turns in time to see the other man attempting to grab him with both arms. Blake ducks down and kicks the mans feet out from under him while grabbing a pile of mud with his left hand.

The man charges him again as Blake throws the mud right into his eyes. The man yells out in pain while Blake punches him in the stomach. He hit with such force that the man blacked out right there on the spot. He falls over flat on his back as the last man looks at him with shock on his face. He attempts to run from Blake but slides through a large pile of mud before falling face first. Blake jumps towards him as the man rolls over. Blake lands on his chest as he begins to punch the mans face repeatedly. Blake's fists become bloody after some time, but not from his own blood. Suddenly he is picked up from behind and thrown across the mud field. Blake instantly flips over as William punches him in the face.

"What are you doing!?" he shouts at him as Blake staggers back a bit.

"William!? What are you doing here!?" Blake shouts back.

"I was in the neighborhood and noticed you kicking these guys around like they were rag dolls! Stop this now!" William shouts as he grabs Blake and holds him.

"Why should I!?" Blake yells before head butting William.

"Because… you're killing them!" William replies as Blake stops dead in his tracks, looking towards the men he had just beaten up. The one that Blake elbowed in the neck is still struggling to breath as William runs over to him to help him.

"My… God… what did I do…? I'm no better… no better than Sigma!" Blake says to himself before running off.

"Blake!" William calls after him. "Geez… all of this drama." he adds as he opens his PET.

Blake runs down the streets as the rain continues to pour down on the town of ACDC. While Blake turns the a corner an ambulance rushes past him towards the direction of the beaten up men. Blake stops to watch as the lights slowly fade away. He looks around before looking up at the sky while catching his breath at the same time. He starts to walk across the street before a car honks at him. As Blake turns his head to the left a small yellow car is sliding towards him. Blake lets out a sigh as the car slams into him while Blake crashes into the windshield. The car stops as he flies onto the ground, rolling a few times as the driver gets out of the car.

"Oh my God! Are you alright!?" a woman freaks out as Blake struggles to stand to his feet covered in cuts with blood coming from his mouth.

Blake staggers off as the woman calls for help. He leans against the wall of a building as he begins to rub against it, slowing down step by step. His vision becomes blurry as he falls to the ground finally while coughing up some blood. He looks to the sky as the rain continues with no end in sight. He manages to get enough strength to lean against the wall of the building behind him as he hangs his head.

----

"Enzan sir, you have a call from William." Blues informs his Net Op.

"Put him through Blues." Enzan says while taking a drink from a cup in his limo as it drives down the rainy streets.

"Enzan, I know you're in ACDC. If you can, find Blake. He ran off after beating up some men and now I can't find him. I need some help here." William tells him as Enzan tilts his head a bit.

"Why did he beat them up?" asks Enzan.

"After I called an ambulance for the men I found Faith and her father inside of a small shed next to their apartment complex. I'm sure you can figure out the rest." William explains.

"I see… but why would Blake run away after defeating them?" Enzan questions as William takes a moment to answer.

"He… almost killed them Enzan. If I hadn't of shown up to stop him… there would be three dead men right now." William replies as Enzan takes a deep breath.

"Alright, I'll let you know if I find him." Enzan replies as William hangs up.

"Enzan sir, where should we look first?" asks Blues as Enzan turns his head to the right to see Blake up against the building with a bit of blood around him.

"Blake!" shouts Enzan as he rushes out of the limo.

"En…zan…" Blake struggles to speak as he falls over motionless.

"Dang it! Hang on kid!" Enzan tells him as he runs to his limo to grab his PET.

Enzan picks Blake up and begins to carry him towards the nearest hospital two blocks away. An ambulance passes them by as he turns the corner. He can see the hospital in the distance, but the traffic is horrible in the rain. He continues to run with Blake in his arms as Blake's body becomes limp and his skin lightens.

"Don't you dare die on me Blake! Do you hear me!? Don't die on me kid!" Enzan shouts at him.

----

A beeping noise can be heard as Blake looks around a white room with medical instruments all around him. He moves his neck a bit as a sharp pain shoots through his body. He flinches as he looks down to his feet, but can only see the bed covers. He looks to his left to see that Enzan is sleeping next to him in a chair with his jacket covering him. He looks to his right to see a door that is wide open. Blake begins to move around to become more comfortable as Enzan begins to move around as well.

"How are you feeling?" Enzan asks as he stretches.

"I feel like a ton a bricks hit me." returns Blake as Enzan chuckles a bit.

"It's a good thing that car did not hit you at full speed, or we would not be having this conversation right now." Enzan says as Blake closes his eyes.

"How is Faith?" asks Blake.

"She and her father are doing just fine, thanks to you." Enzan replies.

"That's good to hear." Blake says.

"Why did you beat those men so badly that it nearly killed them?" asks Enzan as Blake opens his eyes suddenly.

"Rage I suppose… I'm not making excuses, but I just wanted to make them pay for what they were going to do to her… the thought of something like that happening to her upset me to the point to where I wanted to make them bleed… I wanted them to die." Blake replies as Enzan crosses his arms.

"Faith and the others are just outside of this room, in the waiting room. She does not know about anything except the fact that you beat up the men and were hit by a car. It's your choice what you tell her, I'm not going to say a word." Enzan tells him as he stands to his feet and walks out of the room.

Blake lies there while thinking about his current mind set. He knows that what he did made him no better than Sigma, and that very thought upsets him. Sigma has taken away so much from him, and he was about to do the same thing to those three men and their families. Around that point Faith runs into the room with tears in her eyes as Vincent and William follow close behind.

"Oh Blake! I'm so glad that you're safe!" Faith shouts at him as Angel walks in the room last.

"Faith… I can't breath… stop… hugging…!" Blake panics as Faith releases him.

"You had us worried." Vincent says as he sits down on the right side of the bed in a chair.

"I'm okay guys, really." Blake tells them as William stands there with his arms crosses, giving Blake a blank stare.

"Um… I brought you something that may help you feel better Blake…" Angel speaks up from behind as she makes her way to him. She sets a small device on the table next to him that gives off a vanilla scent every minute.

"Thanks Angel, that smells a lot better than the hospital does." Blake tells her as she leaves the room in a rush.

"I think she's warming up to you finally. Just remember that she is my girl…" Vincent tells Blake as he glares at him.

"Why would I when I have Faith!?" Blake shouts back at him as Vincent stands to his feet.

"Oh so she's not good enough for you? Is that it punk!?" shouts Vincent as William leaves the room.

"Hey." Enzan says from his left.

"What is it?" asks William.

"Why did you stop Blake from killing those men?" asks Enzan.

"That's pretty obvious if you ask me. I didn't want him to go to jail for that crap." William replies as he begins to walk off.

"William, you know that I am in charge of the Official's now correct?" asks Enzan as William stops while keeping his back turned.

"What about it?" he asks.

"Your father has returned to his original spot as my right hand man. I was hoping that I could count on you to help us whenever we need it." Enzan continues as William just stands there for a moment.

"Hmph… I'll be in touch." William returns as he walks away.

"I'm sure that Blake is hurting over losing Zero. He's trying to hide it but I can tell… I've been down that road before. Blake has to realize that just because data is absorbed… that doesn't mean that it is gone forever." Enzan thinks to himself as Vincent and Blake continue to argue with each other.

----

On the net someplace, in a blue cyber world Infinity walks back and forth while holding his head. Hunter and Epsilon stand in the distance watching him. A screen appears next to Infinity with Sigma on it. Infinity stops walking as Sigma begins to chuckle a bit.

"Master Sigma, please, you've got to get Zero out of me! His virus is spreading through my systems faster than my anti virus programs can handle! I beg of you!" Infinity tells him as he falls to the ground while holding his head.

"Fine, as you wish." Sigma replies as a portal appears next to Infinity.

"What is this?" asks Infinity.

"This is a link to my personal computer network. Send the data to me now, and rid yourself of that virus." Sigma tells him as Infinity stands to his feet and holds his hands out towards the portal. A red ball appears between his hands before it shoots into the portal.

"Thank you… Master Sigma…" Infinity says as Sigma laughs.

"Do not thank me, you are just a program, a tool for my plans to take shape. Navi's are not real, so do not even pretend that you have emotions! I will take my leave now!" Sigma shouts at him before the screen closes.

"Are you alright Infinity?" Epsilon asks as he and Hunter run up to their leader.

"I'm alright, thank you for your worries." Infinity tells them as he looks at his hands, which are still glowing red.

"What does he mean that we don't have any emotions!? The nerve of that guy… just because he found us locked away in the net, doesn't mean that he can boss us around like that." Hunter says as she clenches her fists.

"Yeah, we have done what Sigma wants up to this point!" Epsilon adds,

"You are correct my friends. However, you do recall that he installed a program inside each of us in case we rebelled against him." states Infinity.

"I forgot about that… darn it!" Hunter shouts.

"But for some reason… I cannot detect it anymore. Zero's virus must have deleted it while it was inside of me." Infinity tells them as his hands continue to glow. He turns to them before reaching out to touch them with his hands. His right hand goes to Epsilon while his left touches Hunter.

"What are you… ah!" Hunter gasps as she can feel the program being deleted inside of her. Epsilon remains silent as the program is deleted inside of him as well.

"We are free now my friends… and we will rebel against Sigma and anyone that attempts to harm us." Infinity tells them as the glowing on his hands slowly fades away.

"How… did you do that?" asks Epsilon as Infinity looks at his hands again.

"It must be because Zero and I are one and the same, just on different edges of the sword." replies Infinity.

"Now what will we do?" asks Hunter as the area begins to shake.

"It seems that we have lost our purpose to Sigma at this point. We were never programmed to harm humans, so maybe it is time to fulfill our programming." Infinity tells them as they leave the area that is quickly being deleted.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Scene 1 End**


	23. ZNC8 Scene 2: Before The Rescue

_**To start this update off, I apologize to all of the readers for not updating for a very long time. I am in college right now, with enough on my plate to keep me from writing at times. Thanks for your reviews and thoughtful comments. I really do appreciate them! I have no idea how long it will take for me to update again, but please keep in mind that I have not forgotten about this, or any other fanfic of mine that needs to be updated. Thanks and enjoy the update!**_

* * *

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 8: Taking Stock**

**Scene 2: Before The Rescue  
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**_**It has been half a year now since I lost Zero. I have completely given up on the chances that I will find him… I feel bad thinking that way but it just can't be helped. I finally recovered from the car hitting me. I still feel a bit sore since the car did break one of my ribs. I have completely given up the life of a Official Net Battler so I can resume my life as a normal kid. Half a year ago I would have never thought of that to be possible… I still hang out with Vincent from time to time, but he is normally away on a mission with William, who actually became a Official right after I left. Him and his father are getting along pretty well from what Vincent tells me, which I wish the best for a father and son. Because of being away from the house as an Official I lost the house and was forced to move into an apartment near the shopping strip. Right now I am working at a computer store helping people with their returns and repairs. I'm actually pretty good with computers, but some of these people are just stupid.**_

"Excuse me sir! I have warranty that covers the laptop for a full year! Why are you charging me for something that is covered in the warranty!?" a man with a suit on and black hair shouts at Blake.

"Sir, your warranty is void if you open the laptop and try to clean it yourself with alcohol and a piece of cloth, in which case I can even see pieces of said cloth inside of the laptop. You can't expect us to fix it for you if you voided the warranty by opening it sir… I'm sorry." Blake explains as the man becomes enraged by this.

"I want to see your manager now!" he yells at Blake as he slams his fists down on the counter.

_**You're an idiot. I want to hit you so badly.**_

"Just a moment sir." Blake replies as he lets out a quiet sigh.

_**Aside from the people I deal with day in and day out at the job, I'm enjoying the normal life. I don't want to have anything to do with the Officials now, although driving lessons with Vincent is always fun.**_

"This is how you manage to do a successful U turn at sixty miles per hour." Vincent tells Blake as the black training car begins to turn.

"I want off this death kart!" screams Blake as he attempts to hold onto the seat under him.

_**Yeah… I no longer hate that freaking jet. Now I hate Vincent and his driving skills. But I am getting better myself… even though I wrecked one of Vincent's favorite Lamborghini's. Vincent… chased me around ACDC with an Uzi that day.**_

"That was one of my favorites Blake!" Vincent yells at Blake while firing a paintball gun at Blake as he runs through the streets of ACDC.

"Stop firing at me you freaking matrix reject!" Blake yells back as a stun grenade lands in front of him. "Aww man…" he adds as the grenade goes off.

_**Let me say one thing, those stun grenades hurt, a lot! I was literally stunned for ten minutes while Vincent dragged me around town until I was able to stand to my feet. I don't think Vincent will be teaching me how to drive anymore, at least not for now. Again, I'm enjoying the normal life.**_

Blake walks up to his second floor apartment door with the number eight on it. As he pulls out his keys the sky begins to darken. He looks behind him at the sky to see that there is lightning in the sky far off as the thunder finally sounds through the city. He opens the door as he walks in and quickly shuts it. He flips the switch beside the door as his studio lights up. A single chair sits in front of the window right next to the door with a small table next to it. Across the room is Blake's green colored bed with black bed sheets and covers. To his left is the kitchen and to the right is his bathroom with the door shut at the moment. He opens the door to the bathroom before closing it behind him. Moments later he leaves the bathroom only to see Vincent sitting in the chair in front of the window.

"Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Blake shouts at him as he holds his chest.

"Sorry about that, I had to make sure it was secure in here." Vincent replies while standing to his feet.

"Secure from what? You've failed that mission if you're talking about all of the stupid bugs in here." Blake says while Vincent walk over to him.

"By the way, you're out of those cookies and cream bars." Vincent tells him.

"You ate my… that's just low man…" Blake comments.

"Now on to the point of my visit. Last week we received a message from one of the Anti Virus Navi's. It was Infinity." Vincent says as Blake's eyes open a bit wider.

"So what does that have to do with me?" asks Blake.

"Inside of the message was a rendezvous point. The point was actually on the Official's island, which shocked all of us to say the least." Vincent continues as Blake lets out a sigh before walking away.

"What does this have to do with me? I'm not an Official anymore remember?" asks Blake as Vincent grabs him by the shoulder.

"Blake, they know how to get Zero back." Vincent tells him as Blake's eyes open wide completely.

----

At the Official base Blake walks through the doors to the main office where Enzan is leaning on the desk. To his left is William in his usual outfit while sporting a smirk across his face. Blake looks around to see that the place has changed since he was last there. Along the walls is a blue grid with data running streaming through at all times. Blake walks up to Enzan as he crosses his arms.

"It's been a while Blake." Enzan starts.

"Yeah… what's with the walls?" asks Blake as he looks around.

"We've upgraded since the last time you were here. The new data layout helps with mission briefings and such related stuff. For today however it will not be needed." Enzan replies.

"Do you want your Navi back kid?" William questions as he takes a step forward.

"Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be here right now." returns Blake.

"Then let the meeting begin." Vincent speaks up as small spheres begin to take form in the room.

"What in the…" starts Blake as the spheres begin to move around the room, quickly growing in size. They begin to combine with each other as data begins to form. Slowly Infinity's body takes shape in the middle of the room.

"I'm grateful that you would meet with me." Infinity speaks as he looks around.

"Where is Zero?" asks Blake.

"Before I answer any questions, I would like to explain a few things." Infinity says as Blake crosses his arms.

"Please, do so." Enzan says as he sits down at his desk.

"Thank you. I will start from the beginning. As you all know by now, I am a Anti-Virus Net Navi. Regardless of what Sigma or anyone else claims, we Anti-Virus Navi's were never created to harm others. In fact we were created to protect both humans and Net Navi's." Infinity starts.

"How can that be? Sigma created you." states Blake.

"Not so. Sigma merely found us hidden away inside of a private server. Our creator's name is Jason Maverick, your father Blake." Infinity reveals.

"My father… created you?" Blake asks as Vincent closes his eyes.

"Correct. When he first realized that Sigma was the head of many net crimes around the world, he began to create Zero." Infinity tells them.

"Wait a minute… Blake's dad was also behind Zero?" asks William.

"The Zero that you know now is not the same Zero that I knew. Your Zero is much more refined compared to the Virus King I know." the blue Navi speaks as everyone is silent for a moment.

"Okay, explain the Virus King title." Vincent says as he opens his eyes.

"Jason Maverick created Zero to be the King of all viruses, yet still having the standards of a Net Navi. In a way he was fusing the two together. Along the way Jason Maverick made the choice to create three Navi's created out of the data from Zero. However, due to the viruses inside of Zero being so strong, Jason Maverick was forced to install extremely strong anti virus programs. Thus the Anti-Virus Navi's were created." Infinity explains.

"Why would Jason create a Net Navi focused around viruses if that was what he was trying to get rid of?" asks William.

"Viruses delete each other of course. In most cases, the stronger virus wins and moves on to delete or absorb." Enzan speaks up.

"Correct. Zero is just that, the strongest virus in the world. However that changed one day. Sigma learned of Zero and wanted him for his own goals. Jason Maverick knew that Sigma was unaware of the Anti Virus Navi's so he hid us away inside of a private server deep within the net, or as you know it… the Undernet. Zero was taken easily due to the fact that he was not fully complete. As Sigma began to run tests on Zero and literally pull him apart, Zero released his virus form into the net. He transferred to a internet provider address that was preset into his programming by Jason Maverick." Infinity tells them.

"Wait a second here… that's how Zero found my computer? My father sent him to me?" asks Blake.

"Correct. But Zero lost most of his power due to exposing his raw virus form. His form changed as well as his fighting abilities. The Virus King that I knew, was easily three times as strong as the Zero you know. There are a few more factors as well." Infinity explains.

"What you're saying does make sense to me. With some of the battles that Zero and I have been in, it looked like he was actually absorbing the enemy Navi. Soon after he would gain a new ability or weapon." says Blake while letting out a sigh.

"That would explain his current level. The more he absorbs the stronger he becomes. He will slowly become what he once was." Infinity tells them as Enzan clears his throat.

"Now about Zero…" Enzan speaks as Infinity turns to him.

"I apologize. In order to free Zero you must go to Sigma's lair and obtain his original body. I will send the coordinates to you now." Infinity tells Enzan as a screen appears above his desk.

"That's… all the way in Yumland. It's at least a four hour trip using a helicopter. An extra hour or so considering fuel stops." Vincent says as they look at Infinity.

"I will accompany you on this trip. I know the layout of his lair and will be able to assist in the rescue." Infinity says to them as William shakes his head.

"No way. You may be leading us into a trap." Vincent speaks up.

"I believe him. If my father created him then that is good enough for me." Blake says while walking up to Infinity.

"Thank you Blake. I will now transfer into your PET. I will be able to provide directions from there." Infinity tells him as Blake holds his PET towards the blue Navi.

Infinity lowers his head before he bursts into data bits. The bits swirl around the room for a moment before stopping. The data bits slowly merge with Blake's PET as it changes to a dark blue color. The area where the emblem is morphs into a sideways eight. Infinity appears as a hologram on top of the PET as Enzan walks forward.

"This is the first time I have seen a solo Navi merge with a PET… just what are you exactly?" questions Enzan.

"If I knew… I would surely tell you." replies Infinity.

"I'm ready to go if you are." William says as he pops his knuckles.

"I'll go prepare the transportation." Vincent tells them as he walks out of the room.

_**Why… why do I get the feeling that our transportation will be jets?**_

"The jets were not available at the moment so we will have to stick to the helicopters." Vincent tells them as they enter an outside hangar.

_**Sometimes I'm glad my feelings are wrong. So we leave in a hurry towards Yumland. I've never been outside of ACDC so this should be pretty cool. I've always heard that Yumland was kind of strange, even though we won't be going anywhere near the city. The coordinates given by Infinity show that Sigma's base is way out in the country. Go figure, way out there for nobody to see anything. These bad guy types always go for that sort of thing. Anyways, when we land in the country of Yumland and the helicopters take off to refuel we make our way towards Sigma's base.**_

"There are a lot of ambush positions here…" Vincent says under his breath as they walk down a path with trees all around.

"Do not worry, Sigma does not expect anyone to find this base. I doubt he will have placed any traps." Infinity assures.

"I get it, he's too cocky." William says with a smirk.

"Either that, or he knows we are coming." Vincent says while letting out a sigh.

"I agree. Let's stay on our toes people." Enzan speaks up as they continue.

_**Not a single trap the entire way. It turns out that Sigma's base of operations… is hidden inside of a big cave. A cave, really Sigma? I wonder what the evil organization of bad guys would say if they knew Sigma was hiding in the most cliché spot. We enter the cave and exit on the other side to see a building inside of the small mountain. I'll admit I did not see that one coming.**_

"What kind of person actually builds a building inside of a small mountain?" asks Blake.

"Maybe he took some lessons from an old video game bad guy. I think his name was Wily." Vincent speaks with a sarcastic voice.

"Be careful from this point. Sigma has placed many motion sensitive turrets from this point. If you follow the pattern I am sending to your PET's, you will be safe." Infinity tells them as they each receive a map.

"Wow! That is a lot of turrets!" Blake says with a stressed face.

"This place embarrasses the crap out of any military base I have seen." William says with a stressed face as well.

_**Everything was fine, until William stepped out of place. Every turret activated… and started to fire at us. If it was not for Vincent carrying a ridiculous amount of grenades on him, we would be dead right now. He threw a chaff grenade that pretty much blinded the turrets for a few moments. It was long enough for us to slip past them and into the base. It looks like a factory actually, with the basic industrial equipment and walkways.**_

"I want… to kill you…" Blake tells William as they gasp for air.

"We were moving too slow." William replies as he puts his hands in his pockets just as Blake prepares to leap towards him.

"Hey guys, knock it off. We have more pressing matters right now." Enzan tells them as they look in front of them to see a small army of robots. The robots all look like Sigma in his green armor.

"Well… I'm sure he knows that we are here now." Vincent states as the robots begin their attack.

"Blake stay back, we can handle them!" Enzan tells him as he and Vincent cross fuse. The Sigma robots take instant notice of them as the highest threat. All of them instantly target them as they surround them.

"I'm insulted." William says as he watches.

"If Infinity shares some of the same properties as Zero… maybe…" thinks Blake as he looks as his PET, then at the PAT.

"Heavy Armory chip!" Vincent calls out as a pair of large gattling guns form over his arms.

"Long Blade!" Enzan shouts as an energy blade forms on his right hand.

Enzan leaps into the crowd of Sigma robots as Vincent opens fire on anything that moves. As the bullets hit the ground more and more robots fall to the ground and explode. Some begin to leap into the air as Vincent starts to pick them off two at a time. Even then, the numbers of the robots begin to grow. Enzan spins around which creates a red tornado that tears apart any robot that is sucked inside of it. Enzan then slashes downward which creates a shockwave that mows through a line of Sigma robots. At that point more robots take the place of the destroyed robots.

"They just keep coming!" Vincent yells as his gattling guns run out of ammo. "Heavy Armory ch…!" he starts before a Sigma robot tackles him from the front.

"Vincent!" Enzan calls after him as his blade is cut through from a Sigma robots energy blade.

"Vincent! Enzan!" William calls out as the Sigma robots begin to pile on top of them.

"I can't stand here any longer and watch this! Infinity! Please lend me your power!" Blake shouts as he inserts his synchro chip into the PET.

A blinding light forces William to back away as the Sigma robots continue to attack Vincent and Enzan. Infinity's form appears in front of Blake as he slowly merges with Blake. The two of them shout out in pain as the light seems to explode into particles. At that point every single Sigma robot turns to look at Blake, who is standing at the entrance in with Infinity's armor.

"This feeling… so this is what it feels like to fuse with a human… amazing…" Infinity speaks in amazement.

"Infinity… fight by my side for this battle!" Blake says as he walks towards the Sigma robots.

"My abilities and power belong to you!" Infinity tells him as Blake's white eyes begin to glow. Instantly Infinity's buster sword appears in front of Blake as he takes hold of it.

"Why did they stop?" asks an extremely bruised Vincent as he looks to see Infinity standing in the distance. He then looks around to see where Blake is, coming to the assumption that he and Infinity fused.

"He actually fused with a solo Navi." Enzan speaks as they stand to their feet.

"How is this possible?" asks Commander as Vincent begins to scan Blake.

"His power levels are off the charts! Is it Infinity that is doing this? Or is it Blake?" Vincent thinks to himself as Blake runs towards the crowd of robots.

Just as he nears them, he quickly appears in the middle where Vincent and Enzan are with his buster sword to his side. Behind him that entire row of Sigma robots explode as they begin to leap towards him. Blake pulls his buster sword back before leaping into the air at an incredible speed. He attacks one robot by slashing through it completely. He leaps off of that robot as it explodes before repeating the attack on all of the robots in the air at that moment. As he lands every single robot that was in the air explodes as Blake rises to take another fighting stance.

"He did that… in less than five seconds! There was at least two dozen robots in the air!" Vincent shouts with a shocked tone.

"Is this the result of Infinity's power? Or is this Blake's determination to save Zero?" Enzan asks himself as he holds his right arm.

The Sigma robots surround Blake as he looks around. His eyes continue to glow before he disappears. All of them look around for him before they spot him falling from above. Blake throws the buster sword down to the ground with amazing force behind the throw. The sword hits the ground, causing all of the robots and even his friends to be thrown into the air. As Blake lands he grabs the buster sword and leaps into the air once again. Vincent watches as he can only see explosions, not once could he see Blake's movements. William holds on to the rails under a walkway as he watches. Blake appears on the ground with his buster sword still in his right hand. Just as he relaxes a shadowed figure leaps towards him with a blue energy saber coming towards him. Blake back flips before the figure chases after him. As the figure rushes out into the light everyone can see who it is, as clear as day.

"Z-Zero!?" Blake shouts in shock.

"Delete… human…" speaks Zero as they notice his color. Instead of his normal red color Zero is a light blue color, almost transparent.

"This is not the real Zero! The programming is different!" Infinity tells Blake as he holds his buster sword, ready to defend himself.

"Delete… human…!" Zero shouts as he lunges towards Blake.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Scene 2 End**


	24. ZNC8 Scene 3: Painful Victory

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 8: Taking Stock**

**Scene 3: Painful Victory**

**

* * *

**Blake finds himself pinned against a wall with the fake Zero pushing against him with their weapons between them. Sparks fly between the two of them as they struggle to overpower the other. Suddenly Blake disappears as the fake Zero crashes into the wall. By the time Zero turns around, Blake crashes into him from behind as the two roll across the floor. The two of them drop their weapons before flipping over, getting some distance from the other. The fake Zero glances over at the buster sword as Blake looks at the Z Saber that is lying on the ground in front of him. Suddenly Zero grabs the buster sword while rushing towards him, with sparks flaring up as he drags it along the ground. Blake snaps his head up as Zero jumps into the air with the buster sword high in the air as well. Blake's eyes flash for a moment as the buster sword in Zero's hand disappears. At that moment Blake grabs the Z Saber while thrusting forward, running Zero through the chest area. Zero slowly looks towards Blake before disappearing into fragments of data, as the Z Saber disappears. Blake looks at his right hand while the data slowly fades away.

"That was hard for him to do…" Enzan says as William and Vincent walk over to him.

"How can you tell?" asks Vincent.

"I've been in his shoes before." Enzan replies while William crosses his arms.

"Blake, there is a huge energy source in the next room. It is Sigma's strongest defense, Omega. Proceed with caution." Infinity tells Blake as he walks ahead.

"Hang on Blake!" Vincent shouts at him as they follow.

As Blake steps into the next room, an icy cold feeling rushes past him and down his spine. He looks around the dark stone colored room as a large sphere rests in the middle of this large room. A strange odor lingers in the room as he continues forward, not realizing that he is being watched by something in the distance. As the others walk into the room, the doorway seals tightly behind them. They turn to look at the door before hearing laughter above them.

"I know that laughter anywhere! Sigma! Show yourself now!" Blake yells.

"And why should I? There is no fun in that my boy." Sigma responds with a slight chuckle at the end.

"Victor Sigma! As leader of the Official Net Battlers I am placing you under arrest!" Enzan shouts at him.

"The leader of the Officials is here!? I'm shaking in my metallic boots! What will I do!?" Sigma mocks as William chuckles a bit himself. Vincent snaps his head towards him.

"What? It was funny." William says while shrugging his shoulders.

"What do I owe this honor of getting a visit from you boy?" asks Sigma as Blake notices that the voice is coming from a different direction.

"Stop calling me boy! I'm here to take you out for good this time! Come out here and face me!" Blake shouts at him.

"No, I don't think so boy. You need to watch your mouth when speaking to me, or the rest of your family will suffer for it." Sigma tells him with another chuckle at the end.

"You're a madman! You just won't stop until you've completely taken everything away from me!" yells Blake.

"Ahhh! Now you're getting the picture! I won't lie to you my boy, I have taken a special interest in you… you are one of a kind in my eyes. You could accomplish so much in this world with the proper guidance!" Sigma says to him from another direction.

"I have someone that is guiding me! His name is Enzan Blaze! The only father figure I have left in this horrible world!" Blake shouts back at him as Enzan becomes a bit shocked.

"Well, I didn't know he thought of me that way." Thinks Enzan as he clenches his fists.

"That's touching, it really is. I'm assuming you are here because I have Zero. Since you are wearing Infinity's armor one could only assume that he was the one that lead you here." Sigma speaks.

"Where is Zero!?" Blake suddenly screams as his eyes begin to glow.

"If you want to see Zero, you will need to pass a few tests of mine…" Sigma says with a darker tone.

"Enough of your games you video game reject. Just show us where Zero is so we can walk all over you." Vincent speaks up as he becomes a bit irritated.

"What was that!? You worthless little thug!" Sigma shouts back as William laughs a bit.

"You heard me! What is it with villains these days anyways? All they want to do is monologue! Your mouth can deal us more harm than your stupid tests!" Vincent shouts in return.

"Vincent! Do you have some sort of plan?" Enzan whispers to him.

"No I don't! I'm just getting sick and tired of Sigma! Commander!!" Vincent shouts as he fuses with Commander instantly. A sniper rifle materializes in front of him before he grabs it and fires above them.

"What the…!?" Sigma shouts before blocking the attack with his right arm. The shell sticks in the armor as he hovers down to the ground.

"What in the world…?" asks William as they look at a new Sigma.

"He he he… ha ha ha!!" laughs Sigma as he sets down in front of Blake.

Sigma now has a fake blue eye that looks like an eye scope is built into it. He is wearing purple armor around his chest with shoulder pads that extend straight out. The shoulder pads are a flat shape. In the middle of the armor on his chest is a red crystal that is glowing at the moment. On the sides of the crystal are four green crystals that are smaller than the red one, but the same shape. Below the armor piece is a green plate of armor that covers his abs, with blue fabric around his ribs. On his waist is a white band with what looks like a small capsule on the top of it. His body suit is black, just as his gloves are black. He wears white arm guards that cover his wrists all the way to his elbows. The arm guards have three purple crystals shaped like ovals, all three along the top middle of the guards. On the top of his hands is a separate piece of white armor. From his knees down he is wearing white armor with a purple crystal along his bones on the front. This armor covers his legs all the way around and connect to his boots, which look like they are razor sharp. From the back of his armor, purple energy can be made out. This purple energy makes it seem as though he is wearing a cloak.

"What have you done to yourself?" Enzan asks in shock as the rest of them look at him.

"What have I done to myself? I will tell you… I have improved my mortal body! I am no longer limited to what you fools can do! I can do anything that I want, including transfer my body to the net!" Sigma tells them with a smile across his face.

"You're crazy." Blake says as Sigma snaps his head towards him.

"You want to know where Zero is? Follow the bouncing purple ball…" Sigma tells him as his body begins to glow, suddenly turning into a ball of purple light. The light slams against the large sphere in the middle of the room just before the lights turn on.

"This thing has plug in ports?" asks William.

"I will be your sword for now Blake. Let us return Zero to his rightful place." Infinity tells Blake as his form fades away from Blake's body.

"Thank you Infinity… Plug in Infinity! Execute!" shouts Blake as the others watch.

"I've never seen Blake this serious before." states Vincent as he looks at his PET.

"Let's help him return his friend. Plug in Blues!" Enzan shouts.

"Go have some fun Onslaught." William says as he sends his Navi in.

Vincent aims his PET towards the giant sphere as all of their Navi's are sent in. The cyber world of the sphere is dark purple with black orbs floating around the top. The ground is light purple, but flashes dark purple at times before flashing back to normal color. The purple ball of light appears in front of them before Sigma's form appears again. He grins while looking at the group of Navi's before him.

"Well well… Infinity. I see you have foolishly taken part in their little attempt to save Zero." Sigma says to his old minion.

"I did not take part in this… it was I that started it!" Infinity responds before his buster sword forms in front of him in the ground.

"That's fine, you were of no use to me anymore. You can be deleted with the others." Sigma says to him before looking at the others.

"Return Zero to us now!" Commander shouts, which shocks everyone including Vincent.

"Commander…?" asks Vincent as Commander leaps forward with his gun blades ready.

"Return him to us now!" Commander repeats before impaling Sigma with his weapons. At that point he pulls the triggers to his weapons as he unloads everything into Sigma. This creates an explosion that throws him back, deleting some of his own armor.

"Commander!" Vincent shouts as his Navi lands next to Blues. As the smoke clears Sigma floats there with another grin across his face.

"Did you really think that I would fall from such a weak attack? It's obvious that you care for your friend, Commander. How touching that is… far be it from me to turn down a request like that." Sigma says to him before a red light shoots out of the ground in front of them. A blue light can be seen inside of the pillar of red, shining brightly before the pillar disappears. A blood red Zero stands before them with red eyes.

"This is Zero… the virus king!" Infinity tells them as he takes a step back.

"Are you sure?" asks Blake.

"Positive! His coding matches that of the virus king that I knew before! We are all in grave danger now!" Infinity replies as Zero takes a step forward, forming his saber in his right hand. He begins to take steps forward as the others prepare for the worst.

"Take him now!" Blues shouts as Zero suddenly appears in front of him.

"If you can!" he shouts at him as he punches Blues in the face.

The power behind the punch cracks Blues' visor as he rolls along the ground. Commander slides in front of Zero before punching him back, barely hurting him. Zero tilts his head a bit before bringing his left fist around to hit Commander in the stomach, which causes him to spit out data. Commander flies into the air as Zero follows with his saber ready to attack. Just as Commander is about to start falling Zero attacks. At that point Commander disappears, allowing Zero to see Onsluaght in the air, aiming his charged laser rifle at him. He unleashes the attack as Zero blocks the attack with his arms and legs. Onslaught moves above him while keeping the rifle on him, pushing him down to the ground. Zero hits the ground at an incredible speed. When he hits the ground, Blues is waiting for him with two cyber swords formed over his hands. He begins to spin rapidly before creating a red tornado. Zero stands to his feet before slashing in the direction of the tornado, creating an arrow shaped shockwave that pierces through the strong winds. Blues falls to the ground as Zero appears in front of him again, this time preparing to delete him with his saber. At that point Infinity slams into him from the side, stopping in front of Blues.

"Enough of this!" Zero shouts at them as a red aura forms around him.

"Uh-oh." Onslaught says as the cyber world begins to shake.

Zero throws his arms to the side as the aura absorbs into him. As he does this, there is an after image that appears behind him in the color of red. Commander stands next to Infinity as the two of them look at each other before looking at Zero. They nod to each other before taking a step towards Zero, who does the same in response. They stare at each other for a moment before an explosion goes off between them. At that moment the three of them clash in the air in the background as Onslaught and Blues watch in amazement.

"How is Commander moving so fast?" William asks as he looks to Vincent who is typing extremely fast on his PET screen.

"I've taken the restrictions off of Commander's programming. He will be able to keep up with them easily now." Vincent says as Enzan walks up.

"Vincent… won't that…" Enzan starts.

"I know what I am doing." Vincent interrupts. Enzan lets out a sigh as Blake scrolls through the PET menu.

Infinity pulls back his buster sword as Zero does the same with his saber. Commander comes around with his gun blades at the three clash. Even with Commander and Infinity pushing against Zero, he begins to push them back. Commander breaks the lock before appearing behind Zero, kicking him in the back. Zero spins around and unleashes a charged blast from his gun. Commander kicks the blast back at Zero who activates a shield that sends it right back at Commander. Not having enough time to react, Commander is hit with full force, knocking him down to the ground. Infinity appears behind Zero as he brings his buster sword around, connecting with Zero's back. A huge wound is left in his back as red data leaks out. Infinity then grabs Zero by the back of his head, and throws him to the ground. Before the blood red Navi hits the ground he vanishes. Infinity looks around as Zero appears before him, attacking him with his saber. Infinity hits the ground as his armor disappears, leaving his body suit. His helmet cracks in many areas as Zero lands in front of him.

"I'm sorry Blake… he's too powerful… this is all that I can do…" Infinity says as Blake hangs his head.

"Pitiful." Zero says as he pulls his saber up.

"Dream Sword!" shouts Blues as a large flat arrow shaped shockwave connects with Zero. This throws him back and chips his armor all over his body. Blues walks over to Infinity before Zero appears again, slashing wildly at Blues. As Zero leaps back Blues falls to the ground, logging out.

"Blues! Can you hear me Blues!?" Enzan shouts to his PET as his Navi appears.

"Is he okay?" asks Vincent.

"Barely." Replies Enzan as Vincent lets out a sigh of relief.

"Listen William, I know that your Navi is powerful, but right now he is no match for Zero. Log him out right now, and leave the rest to me and Commander. I don't want you to lose him too." Vincent tells him as William just looks at him for a moment, before logging his Navi out.

"Vincent… what are you going to do?" asks Enzan before Vincent takes his jacket off and hands it to Enzan.

"I'm a master programmer and hacker… what won't I do?" Vincent asks with a smile across his face. At that moment Commander stands to his feet before looking at his hands, which are glowing at the moment. Commander's whole body begins to glow at that point as he looks at himself.

"What is this feeling… coursing through my body?" asks Commander.

"I've fully released your restrictions Commander! Let's take care of Zero and bring him back to his rightful place with Blake! You are the only one left to deal with Zero!" Vincent tells his Navi.

"Yes sir!" Commander replies as he takes a step forward.

With an explosion of speed he rushes forward, running towards Zero. The blood red Navi turns his head just in time to see Commander punch him in the face. Zero flies back at an amazing speed as Commander chases after him. The red Navi flips over before bringing his saber around to attack Commander. The white Navi ducks at the right moment before spinning around and kicking Zero in the back of the head. Zero staggers forward a bit before regaining his stance, aiming his saber towards Commander. The white Navi forms his gun blades again, slashing a few times towards Zero before taking a stance with his gun blades to his side.

"We've been through this before Commander. You know I will win this fight." Zero tells him.

"You have no idea… my friend." Commander replies as he dashes forward.

The two clash before rapidly attacking the other. Zero comes around with a strong slash across the chest as Commander bends backwards, using the momentum to kick Zero into the air. He then chases after him with his blades ready to strike. Zero slashes towards Commander as a shockwave heads towards him. The white Navi crosses his blades in an X formation before breaking through the shockwave. He then slashes towards Zero with his own shockwave that connects. Zero loses his saber as Commander appears above him, slamming him down towards the ground with his feet. Zero spins around at that moment and fires another charged blast at him. Commander slashes at the blast before following it to Zero. The blood red Navi reflects it with the shield again as Commander reflects it right back at point blank range with his gun blades. This sets off an explosion that knocks the two out of the air and to the ground. The two of them stand to their feet as Zero falls to his knees. Commander walks over to him with his right gun blade pointed towards him.

"Give up Zero, you will not beat me with attacks like that." Commander tells him as Zero looks up at him, with his normal eyes.

"Commander… help… me…" Zero speaks to him as he holds his head.

"Commander must have beaten the sense into him." jokes William.

"Get… away from… me… Commander…" Zero tells him as his color begins to lighten.

"I don't think so." Sigma speaks as he moves his hand towards Zero. At that point Zero's dark color returns. He suddenly leaps forward with his right hand pulled back. He thrusts forward as Commander lets out a gasp. Zero's hand is deep inside of Commander's body as Commander stops glowing.

"Commander! Get out of there!" Blake shouts as Infinity looks towards the two.

"Z-Zero…" Commander struggles to speak as Zero's blue gem begins to glow.

"What's going on Vincent!?" Enzan asks as Vincent types away at his PET.

"Zero is infecting Commander with his virus! At this point… Commander will be deleted… but…" Vincent starts as Enzan closes his eyes.

"But what?" William asks as Vincent lets out a sigh.

"But it was worth it… right Commander?" Vincent asks his Navi.

"Y-Yes… s-sir!" Commander replies as his body begins to glow again. He slowly places his right hand on Zero's blue gem before a flash of light blinds Zero. He staggers back a bit before Commander punches him, breaking the blue gem on his forehead.

"No!" shouts Sigma as Zero falls to the ground, losing his blood red color and returning to normal.

"It is done…" Infinity speaks as he cuts the connection from him and Blake's PET. Blake takes notice of this as he waits for Zero's emblem to appears again. Nothing happens over time as Blake loses hope.

"Ha ha! Even though you have won, you still lose! Zero will not be of use to anyone ever again! As for you Infinity…" Sigma speaks as he moves his right hand towards him. A black orb appears above him before falling on top of him, crushing him. As the white and blue Navi cries out in pain Commander falls to the ground, with data flowing out of him.

"Vincent… it was an honor to serve you. I just wish… I had more time with you… sir." Commander tells his Net Operator.

"You did really good Commander… you have been and will always be… my friend." Vincent tells him as Commander smiles for the first time.

"Thank you… sir…" he replies before his entire body vanishes. Vincent's PET goes blank as he hangs his head. A single tear runs down his right cheek as Enzan puts his hand on his shoulder.

"Vincent… I…" starts Blake as Vincent shakes his head.

"It's okay. I knew what I was doing from the start. Commander is… was a prototype Navi. His programming was different than that of a normal Navi. I had to put special programs in place in order to keep him safe. Releasing those programs lowered his virus defenses so much to the point if he was to take an attack from anything, he'd be deleted. I knew what I was doing…" Vincent tells him as Blake looks at his PET, that is still blank.

"Zero? Wake up Zero! Your friend needs you now!" Blake shouts into the PET as nothing happens.

"This is what you get for crossing me Infinity!" Sigma continues as Infinity screams out in pain.

"Zero!" Blake shouts.

"I will kill everyone in my path! Starting with you Blake!" Sigma shouts.

Suddenly Zero's eyes open as his blue gems reforms on his forehead. His emblem appears on Blake's PET as the color returns. He stands to his feet as his armor begins to restore. He forms his saber in his hand before disappearing. Sigma continues to laugh before Zero slashes off his right hand. He shouts out in pain as Zero kicks him in the face. Sigma crashes to the ground as Zero begins to shake. His body begins to glow as Blake begins to feel lighter, a sense of peace overtakes him as he looks at his PET again.

"Sigma! This is the day that you fall!" Zero shouts at him, as his saber grows in length.

"Y-You will not defeat me!" Sigma shouts back, forming his own purple jagged saber. The two clash in the air before Sigma falls to the ground sparking. Zero lands in front of him with such force that the ground breaks apart.

"Just die Sigma!" Zero shouts at him as Sigma smirks. Zero lunges towards him just as Sigma disappears.

"I will not allow myself to be defeated by you, a lowly Navi! I hope you enjoy having no Net Operator, because they are all about to die!" Sigma tells him as Zero looks around.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Zero responds.

"You have no choice! They have thirty seconds before the entire place explodes! Ha ha ha!" Sigma laughs as his voice becomes distant before going silent.

"Let's move it people!" Enzan shouts as Vincent presses a button on his PET. Suddenly the ceiling explodes as a ladder made out of rope is lowered down.

"You're always prepared Vincent!" Enzan says as they grab the ladder. At that point dozens of Sigma robots come out of nowhere, surrounding them and grabbing the ladder.

"No!" shouts Blake before Vincent pulls out a machine gun, firing at all of the robots attacking them.

"Go! I will hold them off!" Vincent tells them as Blake shakes his head.

"I won't leave you here!" Blake tells him. Vincent presses another button that signals for the helicopter above to pull up.

"You don't have a choice…" he replies as Blake attempts to let go of the ladder before a Sigma robot leaps onto him and begins to attack him.

"Get off of me you reject!" Blake shouts as he kicks the robot off. By that point they are high in the air.

"Goodbye guys, it's been real fun." Vincent says as the Sigma robots leap on top of him. Before Blake could fuse with Zero, a massive explosion throws the helicopter off course, throwing everyone else off of the ladder. Blake fuses with Zero and lands safely on a cliff in the distance, as Enzan does the same with Blues. William is caught by Enzan as Blake begins to shake.

"VINCENT!!" he screams at the top of his lungs as the remains of Sigma's base fall from the sky.

_**Some people say that memories are horrible, things that should be forgotten completely. I disagee. I will never forget the times that I spent with Vincent, never! As I look upon the remains of Sigma's base, I learned what kind of friend Vincent really was. He gave his life to protect everyone, sacrificed his Navi for my own… I have no words that express how grateful I am to him right now. He will always be remembered… Vincent Chase… my friend.**_

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**End of Chpater 8**


	25. ZNC9 Scene 1: Ying and Yang

**Zero Network**

**Chapter 9: Virus Attack**

**Scene 1: Ying and Yang**

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* * *

**_**After the explosion we searched the remains of Sigma's base, in hopes of finding Vincent still alive. Sadly, all we could find was a pile of destroyed robots, with no sign of Vincent anywhere. We had hopes of him still being alive until we found a skeleton under all of the robots, with all of the flesh burned off. A burned uzi was next to it, letting us know that this was Vincent. I feel so horrible for that… he did all that… sacrificed his own Navi to save mine… Angel… she couldn't stand the fact that Vincent died. She has not been the same since… but who can blame her? For the first week she refused to eat anything, barely getting any sleep at all. After that she started to eat, but stopped talking to everyone but her father, Faith, and myself. Even then she rarely said anything at all… she wears Vincent's jacket at all times… he would have wanted her to have it.**_

_**It has been two years since that happened. Sigma seems to have fallen off of the map, not a single incident has come from him since then. Knowing Sigma, he will never give up. A small part of me hopes that he is dead… but the larger part knows he is still out there, gathering resources every single day. These past two years have not been easy on me. I lost my brother and sister a year ago in a car crash. A truck driver slammed into them and killed them upon impact… they were on their way to visit me at my apartment… now I really am all alone in this family. I miss my family so much… but in a way, I have gained a new one. Enzan has been training me daily to become a better Official. He is teaching me everything that he taught to Vincent, including vehicle training. I have become a much stronger person both physically and mentally, all thanks to those around me.**_

_**I proposed to Faith a month ago and she said yes! I've never been so happy in my life! We have the date set to a year from now, on the Official's island. I know, a bit separated from the city, but the scene is amazing. Not to mention her father now works for the Officials, so I get to see her more often now. I have honestly never been so happy in my life… I have an awesome Net Navi, who is my friend, an awesome girl who is to be my wife, and an awesome father figure. Things are looking up for now, but I have no idea how long that will last.**_

A man runs through a dark and wet forest as the rain pours down. Thunder sounds throughout the air as lightning flashes in the distance. The man pulls his brown cloak closer together as he continues to run. As he passes by a group of five trees he turns around to see a shadow figure chasing after him, an obvious sign that he is being followed. The man begins to run again before a blast lands in front of him, throwing him backwards to the ground. His somewhat long brown hair flops out of the hood of his cloak before he stands to his feet, watching the shadow figure as best he can.

"Just give it up now hero. You cannot defeat me." the shadow figure says to the man.

"That's funny, I was about to say the same thing. Minus the hero part…" the man replies with a smug look on his face.

"Bah! Why do I even bother!?" the shadow figure shouts as lightning flashes above them, revealing the shadow to be a robot.

This robot has a small missile pod attached to its right wrist, with a small laser barrel on top of that. It holds a single laser cannon on its left shoulder. It has a slim green visor for an eye and no mouth. It is a solid red color all over. This robot has a curved look to it, with a circular pattern all over it. The robot holds its right arm towards the cloaked man as it charges its laser. The man ducks at the right moment as the laser beam shoots over his head. The rain continues to fall while the man stands to his feet, moving his hand towards the inside of his cloak.

"Not so fast human! I was not programmed just tonight! Keep your hands where I can see them!" the robot demands as the man smirks again.

"My my… you sure are smart for a simple robot. I wonder who made you…" the man says before the robot takes a step closer.

"Is that why you were snooping around my masters home? I will kill you now!" the robot shouts before the man pulls out a device attached to his arm that looks like a sword. The tip of the blade begins to glow before a wave of energy shoots out of the blades tip. The robot begins to spark and hold its head before blowing up in front of the man.

"They just don't make robots like they use to." the man says with a smile before looking up at the sky. "I better keep moving." he adds as he runs into the deeper parts of the forest. Above him in the sky, more robots like the last fly around. Each one of them with their eyes glowing, searching for the man.

-----

Blake walks down the white hallways of his apartment complex, finding it hard to make it back to his room due to being so hungry. Blake now wears a plain red shirt with an un-buttoned white short sleeve shirt over it. He opens the door to his room before shutting it, locking it behind him. He turns around to see that his living room is still clean, just as he left it. His new apartment has a living room, kitchen and a bedroom with a door. The walls are white and the carpet is dark blue. He has a patio on his third floor apartment. As time passes by Blake brings a sandwich out of the kitchen with a bag of his favorite cheese flavored chips with a grape soda. After finishing his meal he puts his dish up and cleans it right after using it, placing it back on the rack with the other dishes. He walks into his room and looks at the clock, showing that it is ten at night. He looks towards the mirror while staring at it for a moment. Blake's body has become more muscular over the two years.

"Blake, you have an incoming message." Zero pops up just as Blake sits down on his bed.

"That figures. Just as I was about to go to sleep." Blake says as Zero chuckles a bit.

"You are the top Official Net Battler after all." Zero states as he crosses his arms.

"Alright, what does the message say?" asks Blake while lying down.

"All it says is to come to point seven, nine, eight." Zero replies as lightning flashes in the window.

"Cross reference those coordinates with the landscaping of this city." Blake tells him while sitting up.

"Already on it. The location is in the central park, right where the fountain is." Zero says as Blake stand to his feet.

"Well, let's not keep our mystery caller waiting." Blake tells him as grabs a brown rain coat from his closet.

Blake exit's the apartment building as the rain pours down. Blake lets out a sigh before continuing to his vehicle, a red Ferrari. Blake drives out of the parking lot as a shadow figure stands atop the building, watching Blake drive away. Fifteen minutes pass by before Blake arrives at the central park, wondering if he has fallen into a trap of some sort. As he exit's the car he locks it up and walks towards the fountain, where a man wearing a cloak stands. As Blake walks up, the man turns to greet him.

"Hello Blake, it's an honor to meet you finally." the man greets as Blake crosses his arms.

"Is it now? I wish I could say the same about you." Blake responds as the man laughs a bit.

"I can understand that. Listen Blake, I do not have much time right now, so this will be a quick conversation." the man tells Blake as he fully turns to face Blake.

"Okay then, I'm all ears. You called the meeting after all." Blake returns as the man smiles.

"I'll get to the bottom line here. Sigma is still alive, and he is growing in power every single day. I do not know where his base is yet. I have been trying for a very long time to find it, but I have been thwarted by his robots time and time again." the man tells him.

"More robots? Couldn't he come up with something more original?" asks Blake as the man laughs.

"I'm not sure what is wrong with the villains of these stories these days. Nevertheless, I wanted to warn you. Guard yourself and those that you care about, because Sigma will no doubt go after them first… just to get to you." the man tells him as he looks at the sky.

"How do you know all of this?" asks Blake as he takes a step closer.

"Just be sure that you are ready for whenever the time comes." the man tells him as Blake shakes his head.

"That's not good enough for me. I don't even know who you are or who you are working for." Blake says while crossing his arms.

"I have been watching you for some time now… I'm impressed with your skill. Your Net Navi impresses me as well… Zero." the man says while Blake squints his eyes at him.

"You know too much it would seem. Come on, I'm taking you in with me." Blake tells him as the man shakes his head.

"You can't take in… what is not there anymore." the man replies as a flash of lightning flashes above them. Blake looks away for a moment before looking back, taking notice that the man is gone. The rain pours down as Blake looks at his PET.

"Did you get it?" asks Blake as he turns around to walk back to his car.

"I did. I'm searching through the Officials database right now for a possible… wait… is this correct?" Zero suddenly asks, catching Blake's attention.

"What's up?" Blake asks him while getting in his car and shutting the door.

"According to the data provided by the Officials… that was Netto Hikari." Zero replies as Blake looks at his PET.

"What did you say?" he asks as he turns the key to the car.

-----

"This isn't possible…" Enzan says as he walks around his office. Blake is sitting down in a seat next to his desk, watching him walk back and forth.

"Maybe there was a malfunction on the microphone?" asks Blake.

"No, I don't believe so. If Zero didn't pick up on it, then it was not there. If this man is really Netto… he will have everything that we need to take down Sigma once and for all." Enzan says as he leans against his desk from the side.

"How do you know that?" asks a curious Blake.

"I know my old friend. He was a detective after all, so I doubt he would be showing up at this point without information. Especially since…" Enzan starts as Blake listens closely. "Nevermind…" he adds as Blake stands to his feet.

"I'll let you know if anything else shows up." Blake tells him as Enzan turns around to face his desk. Enzan walks over to his seat and sits down while Blake leaves the office. Enzan reaches into the top right drawer and pulls out a picture of himself and a man wearing a blue headband.

"It's been a long time since I've talked to you Netto… are you really alive? If you are… is this how you wanted things to turn out?" Enzan asks as he puts the picture down on his desk. At that moment a light begins to blink on his desk, letting him know that there is a message waiting for him. He presses down on the light, which is a button as well before the secretary begins to speak.

"Enzan sir, there is a situation in Net City. You need to come take a look right away." she tells him as Enzan stands to his feet.

"On my way." he replies while walking away from his desk.

As he walks into the briefing room, Blake is already standing in the middle, watching live footage of what is going on in Net City. Everywhere they look a Net Navi is being attacked or absorbed by a strange green looking virus. Enzan walks over to Blake and crosses his arms, watching the viruses tear apart the city bit by bit, absorbing every piece broken off. Some viruses even gain abilities that their prey had before being absorbed.

"What do you think Blake?" asks Enzan as Blake lowers his head a bit.

"Sigma." he replies with a serious look to his face.

"Sigma hates the net, why would he send viruses to do that type of work?" asks Enzan with a curious look.

"Sigma hates Net Navi's, not viruses. Why he is attacking Net City… I have no idea. But I don't want to just stand around and do nothing. Where is William right now?" asks Blake as Enzan lowers his head as well.

"He's on a mission in Greenland right now." replies Enzan as he looks at his PET.

"Let's go Zero." Blake says as his Navi nods.

Inside of Net City a program floats away from a group of viruses that is chasing it. The program looks back before slamming into something from the front, catching it off guard. The program hits the ground and looks up to see a much larger virus in front of it. The program lets out a robotic scream before the viruses surround it, preparing to absorb the program. At that moment the biggest virus falls over with a deep cut through its side. Its data falls apart as Zero steps in to promptly delete the remaining viruses with a single circular slash. The program gets up and floats away as Blues appears next to Zero.

"I will handle the south and west side of Net City. You take the north and east." Blues tells Zero as the two nod at each other.

"Roger that." Zero returns as the two split up from that point.

Blues leaps into the air before jumping off the walls to reach the top of the digital buildings. At the top he can see a massive army of viruses marching through the streets, deleting the entire city as they march along. Blues activates a cyber sword on each hand as Enzan sends him another battle chip. Blues vanishes before appearing in front of the army of viruses.

"This should be interesting." Blues mutters to himself before slashing wildly as the oncoming army, shooting shockwave after shockwave at them.

-----

Zero runs through the streets as the ground begins to shake, indicating an extremely large enemy was nearby. Zero turns a corner as a large ball shaped virus with long tentacles walks down the street, absorbing everything its tentacles touch. Zero fires a charged shot from his pistol at it, before his shot bounces back. A single red eye forms in the middle of the ball as it locks onto Zero, who extends his saber at that point. A few tentacles rush down towards him as he rolls out of the way, just before receiving an attack from behind as another large virus slams its tentacles down on him. His body begins to burn as the virus attempts to absorb him.

"Zero! Absorb it now!" Blake shouts at his Navi as Zero's blue gem begins to glow.

Zero disappears before appearing above one of the viruses with his right hand glowing. He slams his right hand down on the virus as it begins to moan out in pain. The other one attempts to stop Zero by swinging one of its tentacles at Zero, before he catches it in his other hand, absorbing that one too. The blue gem on his helmet glows even brighter before Zero lets out a shout, fully absorbing the two viruses in an instant. He falls to the ground before falling to his knees while panting.

"How are you feeling Zero?" asks Blake.

"I'll be fine… I've never done that before, so I'm a little worn out." replies Zero as Blake scrolls through the PET menu.

"I'm sending you a form to help you recover." Blake tells him as Zero stands to his feet.

"Thanks." replies Zero as his color changes to bright yellow. "I'm feeling better already." he adds as he starts to run down the streets of Net City.

"So… he has gotten stronger after all. Let me see if they can in fact save this city." says a Net Navi that is floating above the city, wearing a full cloak, revealing nothing.

-----

Blues charges through a group of viruses with his arms held to his sides, deleting a mass amount of them in a single pass. Many viruses leap into the air as Blues does the same, swiftly deleting them with a single pass. As he lands some viruses pile on top of him, burning his back a bit. Blues begins to spin as the viruses are thrown off and deleted. Even more viruses attempt to do the same before Blues leaps high into the air, activating a vulcan gun on his left arm and a cannon on his right, taking aim instantly. He begins to blast away as he falls, taking out a quarter of the army in one fall.

"Program advance!" Enzan suddenly shouts as Blues lifts his arms up as he continues to fall. "Cannon, M-Cannon and Hi-Cannon!" Enzan adds as he adds the three battle chips. Blues takes aim with a new powerful cannon before unleashing his attack. A massive blast fires out as Blues is thrown back high into the air from the attack. The blast completely destroys the army as Blues looks around, taking notice of the cloaked Navi in the sky.

"Enzan, there is a Net Navi floating in the sky above Net City." Blues reports in as Enzan looks the Navi over.

"That could be the cause of all of this. See what you can do." Enzan tells his Navi while sending a battle chip.

Blues' boots begin to shoot out a constant stream of air allowing him to fly around as if he was wearing jet boots. He heads towards the floating Navi before it turns around, holding his left arm towards Blues. His white hand begins to glow black before unleashing a massive blast that flies above Blues, destroying a massive fleet of air born viruses behind him. Blues turns around to see the viruses blowing up before turning around again to face the Navi. He looks around but cannot find the floating Navi.

"I'm sorry Enzan, but the Navi has disappeared." Blues reports as Enzan sighs.

"That's alright Blues. He left quite a mark before going though… he could have deleted you in an instant, but chose to delete the viruses behind you… I can only hope that this mystery Navi is on our side." Enzan says as Blake looks over at him, then back at his own PET.

"Zero, regroup with Blues. I think that is the last of them." Blake tells his Navi as Zero nods to him, returning to his original colors.

The two red Navi's meet in the middle of a street before a black blast lands in front of them, knocking both of them back. Blues flips over while Zero slams into a building behind him, leaving a large hole. Zero leaps out of the hole in the wall before landing in front of a large crater, left from the massive attack just moments before. The cloaked Navi floats down in front of them before throwing the cloak off, shocking them all.

"Rockman!" Blues and Zero shout as Rockman floats there with his scarf flowing in the cyber wind.

"You have gotten much stronger Zero. I'm impressed." Rockman tells him.

"Why did you attack us just now!?" Zero shouts back as Rockman crosses his arms.

"Simple. I was trying to delete you!" he replies as Zero gets a shocked face.

"Rockman!" Blues shouts as Rockman turns his head to his old friend.

"Blues… this has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it." Rockman tells him with a cold voice.

"Were you the one behind the viruses?" asks Blues as Rockman remains silent for a few moments.

"No." he replies as Blues seems to be eased by the reply.

"I came here only to watch. I wanted to see if Zero has become stronger… and he has. I want to fight with him. If he does not defeat me, I will absorb him completely!" Rockman tells them as everyone becomes shocked.

"Hold on! The last time you fought with us, you realized the error of your ways and even gave us a program!" Blake shouts into his PET.

"I want it back too. Enough talking!" Rockman shouts as he disappears, appearing in front of Zero with a black energy sword in his right hand.

Suddenly his color changes to white as Zero forms his saber as he slashes to his side. Rockman smirks as the two engage in a fast saber fight, deflecting the others attack each blow. Rockman rushes forward with his left hand glowing, impacting Zero's chest. Pieces of his armor crack off as Zero does the same with his left hand, slamming his hand onto Rockman's helmet, cracking it a bit. Rockman begins to laugh as the two stare at each other. At that moment Blues steps in with a barrage of shockwaves from his two cyber swords. Rockman becomes irritated as he forms black wheels on his hands before throwing them at Blues. The two continue to attack the other before Blues is overwhelmed by the black wheels. Rockman quickly leaps into the air before charging with both of his hands. A black ball forms between his palms as black sparks shoot off from the ball.

"Darkness overload!" he shouts as he unleashes the attack.

Blues struggles to stand to his feet before Zero rushes in front of him in a blue color, with an energy shield held in front of him. The blast hits Zero's shield as he is pushes back, attracting the blast to his shield, saving Blues. Zero lets out a shout before falling to his knees, losing his color as Rockman begins to laugh. Zero's blue gem begins to blink as he stands to his feet, pushing the blast back before the attack ends. At that point Zero throws his shield at Rockman who moves out of the way. The shield returns to Zero as his color goes from blue to yellow.

"Interesting. You can change forms it would seem. Your last form focuses on defense while this one focuses on regaining your energy. I will take those forms for my own power!" Rockman shouts as he rushes forward with his right hand glowing.

"I don't think so!" Zero shouts as he pulls back his right arm and rushes forward.

Both of them meet as they attempt to absorb the other. The amount of force behind their attacks shake Net City. Blues can only watch in amazement as Enzan logs him out. Net City begins to fall apart as the two continue to struggle, glaring into the others eyes. Zero's color changed from yellow to black suddenly, as he forms his saber in his left hand, quickly stepping to the side to slash at Rockman's side. Zero quickly returns to his normal color as Rockman falls to the ground motionless. Black sparks begin to shoot off from Rockman's body as Zero takes a fighting stance.

"I must thank you for that… now I can be reborn!" Rockman shouts in another voice as the sky darkens.

"Zero! Fire away!" Blake tells his Navi as Zero fires multiple charged shots at Rockman.

A dark purple aura surrounds Rockman for a moment as the shots seems to be absorbed into the aura. Zero takes a step back as Rockman stands to his feet. His form becomes blurry before glowing completely white. At that moment two images move away from the aura. Both of them stand before them as the white color dies down. One of the Navi's is blue while the other is black with a cloak on. The black one has a helmet just like before, only larger, and no face mask. The black Navi has a blue line going down his left and right cheek from his eyes.

"Rockman!" Enzan shouts as Blake looks at the other Navi.

"Then… who is this?" asks Blake as the cloaked Navi begins to laugh.

"Finally… after all these years… I am free!" the black Navi shouts as he looks towards Zero.

"Who are you?" asks Zero as the cloaked Navi smirks.

"I am Forte, the only king of the net." he reveals.

"Forte?" asks Blake.

"This is the Navi that Rockman forced to fuse with him years ago. Zero must have damaged Rockman enough to allow Forte to take over…" Enzan explains as Blake lets out a sigh.

"Great… this just keeps getting better." Blake says with a stressed face.

"I am very interested in you red Navi. I want you power for my own! Your ultimate program!" Forte shouts before rushing forward at an incredible speed.

Zero takes a step back as Forte slams into him, cracking his armor upon impact. Zero flips over before falling to the ground with data leaking out of his mouth. Zero stands to his feet as Forte flies into the air, unleashes dozens of black wheels. Zero rolls out of the way of some, but is hit with the rest as the damage being dealt to him increses.

"Zero!" shouts Blake as Forte lands in front of Zero, who is struggling to even look up at Forte.

"I won't… let you… take my power… Forte!" Zero yells at him as Forte scoffs.

"You don't have a choice." he responds while holding his glowing right hand over Zero.

"I will not lose you again! Do you hear me Zero!? Never again! ZERO!!" Blake yells through the PET before Zero snaps his head up, while holding his right hand to Forte.

"W-What!?" Forte asks in a shocked tone as the two struggle to absorb the other.

Zero stands to his feet while keeping the attack on Forte. Slowly his color changes to dark red as the gem on his forehead begins to glow brightly. Zero holds his left hand towards Forte as he walks forward. The black Navi does the same as the two struggle to absorb the other. They begin to move closer to the other as they engage in a fist lock. At that moment a massive explosion goes off, which throws the two back. Zero rolls along the ground as Forte flies into the sky, away from danger. As the explosion dies down Forte flies over to Zero who is motionless at the moment, in his normal colors.

"Impressive… but not good enough Navi. You are all so weak." Forte says before he holds his left hand towards Zero again.

"Zero!!" Blake shouts as Rockman's helmet begins to glow on his forehead.

"Where… where am I?" Rockman asks as he looks around.

"I've found you at last… Rockman!" a voice thunders to Rockman.

"That voice… it can't be!" Rockman says as he stands to his feet, taking notice of Forte attempting to absorb Zero.

"We can catch up later. Right now, take care of Forte!" the voice tells him as Rockman nods in excitement.

"Right! Netto!" Rockman replies as he dashes towards Forte.

"This is the end!" Forte shouts as Zero's body becomes blurry. At that moment a blast hits Forte in the back, throwing him forward. Forte turns around to see Rockman staring at him with his buster gun charged and ready for another attack.

"Rockman! How are you able to move!? There is no way unless… it can't be!" Forte says in a shocked tone as an image appears in front of them all.

"That's the man I met in the park!" Blake says as Enzan's eyes open wide. The man pulls his hood down, revealing his mid length brown hair, wearing a blue headband with Rockman's emblem on it.

"It has been a long time, Enzan." Netto greets his friend.

"It has… Netto… how?" Enzan asks as Netto shakes his head.

"Now is not the time for me to explain. Right now, my old friend and I have something to deal with." Netto replies as Rockman's color becomes much lighter.

"Forte!" Rockman shouts a**t** him before rushing towards him.

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**Chapter 9**

**End of Scene 1**


End file.
